Painted Lies & Demon Eyes (PL&DE)
by Livvy Mae
Summary: Marco has lived his whole life as a demon with his brother, Tom. The Underworld and demonic lifestyle is all he's ever known, torturing others and the occasional short temper. But when he begins having reoccurring nightmares about a mysterious girl, Tom begins to act odd. Though the gruesome answers aren't what Marco is looking for, it's just what he needs to unlock his true past.
1. Night Terrors

"Marco. Marco."

A hand landed on my shoulder, shaking me awake and yanking me out of my deep consciousness. My claws were way out in front of me, scratching at the air as I sat up suddenly. My gasp for more and more oxygen had made my heart beat to no limit. I had been sweating and my darkly red, slick wings had stood out, stretching themselves as far as they could go.

My brother, Tom, frightened by my actions, had fallen on the ground backwards and got up as quickly as he fell, straightening himself out and holding up his hands in front of him. "Hey!" He began with a hushed and shaky voice. "Calm down. It's just me."

My wings had settled and folded themselves back behind me and I attempted to wipe the pouring sweat dripping from my forehead.

"It's getting worse. This time you were yelling in your sleep." When he spoke in a whisper, his voice held nervousness and fear. He rubbed his tired beetroot colored demon eyes.

"It was the same nightmare again. The one with that girl..." I mumbled once my breath steadied and quit heaving in and out.

Tom sighed, holding his face with his hands and plummeting onto the edge of my bed, sitting there. "Marco?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the earliest thing you can remember?"

"What?" I began to chortle but Tom didn't. He took his hands away from his face and turned to me with a surprisingly serious look. His eyes were hard and stern. "Are you serious?" I asked, though I knew he was.

"What is the earliest thing in your life that you remember?" He questioned me once more.

I thought for a bit, leaving Tom and the bedroom that we share in silence. "Oh, I know." I finally spoke up. I laughed a bit when I talked, the memory, a funny one. "We were younger and you were so mad that I beat you in ping pong, you stapled my wings to the wall."

Tom stared out in front of the dark void of our bedroom and let out a small, breathy laugh.

"I must have been stuck there for a whole hour before you came back to get me."

"That's cruel." Tom chortled.

"You're the one that did it!" I exclaimed, making Tom and I laugh harder. When our laughs had died, so did my brother's smile.

"Look, I, uh... gotta tell you something." He began. He must have been expecting me to answer due to a long pause. When I didn't say anything, he continued. "It's actually - well it's complicated."

"Dude, just say it already." I teased, punching his shoulder, resulting in him letting out one final snicker and rubbing his shoulder.

"Nevermind, it's nothing. It's... not important, I guess." With that, he avoided eye contact with me and headed straight back to his own bed on the other side of the room.

"Okay..." I muttered with a slight smirk and eye roll, knowing my brother had a tendency to be weird. I laid back down on my bed, letting the rest of the sweat dry off my body before tucking my wings around me to use as a cocoon. Slowly, I started to wonder off into sleep.


	2. Fraud in the Mirror

Tom told me that winged demons grow their wings at a young age. He said that my wings will keep on growing until I am three hundred years old, saying they'll start to drag out behind me because they're so big.

But really. What does he know? He doesn't have wings.

"It's just going to help with the swelling." He said, rubbing in the lotion around the area of my wings until the medication stung. I clenched up and dug my darkly faded nails into the wooden kitchen table. "Stop moving them." He grumbled.

"I can't. They do what they want." I argued back. I sighed heavily and turned to face Tom, who looked like he had just seen a dog die. He was looking at me, his eyes were pitiful.

"Are you done?" I asked impatiently with a face. He didn't answer. He just stood there, staring at me with that same look. "Hey. Underworld to Tom?"

"What?" He blankly responded, blinking his eyes as if to awaken from a daydream.

"Are you done?" I repeated, more impatiently than the last time.

He put the lotion down and dropped his stare. "Uh... yeah. I-I'm done."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Really... I am." He smiled yet I could see right through him. His smile was fake and forced.

Tom went off into the corridors of lit torches that lead to our bedroom, leaving me in the kitchen. With the top half of my body resting on the table, I picked myself up, my wings still just as sore as they were for a week now.

My eyes caught my figure in the kitchen mirror as I stood up straight. My vivid green eyes stared back at me. My red horns descended from an already dark red, like my wings, to a black point, like my fingernails. My ears were also standing to a point.

Unlike Tom, however, not all my teeth are jagged. A pair of fangs hang out from the front of my bottom lip, slightly revealing themselves instead of hiding like the rest of my flattened teeth. They may be difficult to see at first, but once I talk, they are hard to miss.

I turned away and found myself looking down the hall where Tom had gone. Out of the corner of my eye, I witnessed my reflection transform. In the mirror, colors blurred together until finally creating a new, different person.

I yelped out loud, causing my body to stumble and crash into the wall behind me, my wings beginning to feel the same jolt of pain from their infection. The boy in the mirror followed my actions. With his mouth open in shock, his fangs were gone. He had chocolate brown eyes and matching dark hair but without horns. His wings - he had none. I may have been wearing no shirt at the time, yet the boy in the mirror had on a light red hoodie.

He had the same fear burning in his eyes as I did. The fright was not of not seeing my physical self, yet the feeling that I _knew_ him but didn't know _where_ exactly I had.

"Tom!" I shouted, panic driving my voice to a loud volume. "Tom!" The boy in the mirror copied me, mocking me, teasing me, perfecting me.


	3. Fear of the Unknown

Tom, just as fearful and rushed as I was, came hurriedly into the kitchen and ceased at the doorway. His mouth hung open in silence. He wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words.

I pointed with a shaking finger out in front of me at the mirror, looking at my brother at the same time. "The mirror." I said.

Tom, less frightened and more confused now, raised an eyebrow. "The mirror?" He repeated.

"Look." I said, my finger still outstretched. Just as Tom glanced over at the oddly shaped mirror on the wall, the taunting boy had disappeared. I mentally cursed, knowing my moment of distraction was taken for granted so that the mirror could change back.

I approached closer, this time my reflection was true and had my demonic form again. "What? No!"

My brother gave me a face and I knew he must have thought I was insane - well, more insane than the usual demon mind already is. "No, I saw someone! Someone else! But - how?" I tore the mirror off of the wall, my temper beginning to get the best of me.

"Uh, I'm not sure what you're talking about." Tom commented.

"It was like I was looking at me but I wasn't a... demon." I growled in aggravation, holding the mirror up to my face. "It was real! I saw it!" From behind me, Tom stepped into the mirror. The same dumb look of a dog dying came back to his face.

My anger flared up inside of me and I felt as if I could just snap the mirror in half. "What?" I snapped at Tom, turning around to meet his real face.

"What do you mean what?"

"What is with that stupid look on your face? You look like someone died." I explained.

Tom held his temples in distress and sighed. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"Tom," I murmured. "What's going on?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me, Marco." He insisted.

"What could I possibly not believe? I mean, c'mon!" I shrugged. "We're brothers, aren't we?"

Tom didn't answer. He had officially went mute, leaving my question hanging in the air. "Marco, you're not a demon." He said as clear as day.

There was a brief second of silence before I laughed and shook my head. "Okay, I'd believe you if you said something a little _less_ crazy."

Tom walked out on me just then. He dropped his head and left. I was alone again, focusing hard in the mirror.

I had waited the whole day for that mirror to do something again - anything. As if to play with me, the mirror did nothing. I had stared at it for so long, in fact, that night had fallen.

"I suggest you stop worrying and get some sleep." Tom's voice broke through my thoughts. I dropped the mirror and saw him, laying on his back in bed, eyes glued on the ceiling.

Taking his advice, I put down the mirror and turned on my side in my own bed. Exhaustion was looming over me with its long, dark, crooked fingers yet I didn't want to fall asleep.

Sleep is a horrible beast who comes out to haunt me in my mind. It can possess my dreams and take any form of nightmare that it pleases. It continues to haunt me with the same nightmare, the one of that exact girl.

I didn't want to sleep that night. I knew that the second I shut my eyes, the visions would be back. But I was not strong enough to overcome its temptations. The beast stroked my head as a soothing invitation, bringing me closer and closer to sleep, ready to strike a fourth night.


	4. Human, Demon or Something Else?

"Don't just stand there! Please!" I begged, feeling my heart ache. "Tom, please!"

"I can't." He said, a quivering frown forming on his face when he removed his hand from his mouth. "She's gone…"

"No. No! I-I can't just let her die!" I cried out into the Earth's forest and trees. "This is all my fault." I continued, unable to stop myself from talking. "I did this." My anger had skyrocketed and I began to sob more.

I thought it was the end, but it had only just begun. It all felt too real. The feeling of new bones forming and breaking through my skin and growing out beyond my back. The noise it made when they were growing, transforming. The wings, the horns, my fangs. I fell forward in excruciating pain. I swore I even heard crunching and cracking.

Then, I woke up screaming. Tom was up again, as always. He had been watching from his own bed, many feet away. "Marco…"

"Shut it." I snarled, my temper high already. "I don't need your sympathy." With that, I never heard another peep out of Tom that night.

. . .

Not acknowledging Tom when I got to the kitchen, I passed by him and straight to the food pantry. I stormed in, looking for at least something decent to eat instead of any meat or a jar of cockroaches. I clenched up my face in disgust, not understanding how Tom could eat them. Surely they must taste better in his mind than mine.

I snatched a bag of potato chips from the shelf and tore it open with my claws, plummeting to the ground and sitting up against a wall. It wasn't until I began grabbing as much as I could put in my mouth that Tom followed me into the pantry. In his hand, he casually held a red cup of bubbling punch.

"What are you doing?" He asked, inviting himself in and sitting down next to me even though he probably knew I didn't want him near me.

"What do you care?" I grumbled, filling my face with chips and crunching down on them aggressively.

"You're wolfing down a bag of chips. Something is obviously wrong."

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone." I scooted a few inches away from him, but he followed, like a baby duck not wanting to leave its mother.

"Was it about that nightmare again?" He asked, testing my patience.

"No, it's just a dream. Besides, if I wasn't a demon, I wouldn't be able to do this." I took my hand out of the potato chip bag and felt the tingle of my nerves touch my fingertips. The power of a green spark ignited into full flames, created a ball of vividly green fire that sat in my hand. I closed my hand tight, the fire going out.

"Yeah," Tom exhaled. "I guess you're right."

"Now leave me alone. I didn't plan on talking to you today." As if to be deaf to my wish, Tom stayed. He squinted his three eyes at me, observing me. "Don't you hear anything I say?" I groaned through the half-chewed food in my mouth.

"Marco, your face."

"What?" I said, curiosity pushing aside the feeling of annoyance towards my brother. "What about it?"


	5. What it takes to be a Demon

"Woah." I exclaimed, lightly touching the black single stripes across each of my cheeks as I looked at them in the mirror. They began out wide and eventually slimmed down to a sharp point. They became more and more noticeable with each second they magically grew darker, fading away from my regular skin tone to a black color.

That's when I noticed the matching stripes on the back of my hand in the mirror. I gazed down at my right hand, realizing my left hand had the exact same black tattoos. They were coming in just as fast as the ones on my face and they slithered elegantly up my forearms and disappearing by the time they hid behind my grey T-shirt.

"I've finally got my demonic marks! Isn't this awesome?" I laughed. Tom sat at the rectangular kitchen table, holding his head in one hand. He hadn't taken his wavering eyes off of me.

"No." He said dully.

I rolled my eyes. Why can't he just be happy for me? For the past days, he had been doing nothing other than giving me that same retarded "my dog is dead" face. And he was doing it _again_.

"Maybe not for you. But I can't blame you. It's hard not to be jealous when your brother hits the demonic teenage changes before you do." I smiled at my own tease while looking back in the mirror, my pearly white fangs flashing.

"No, I mean it. Just stop." He urged, pounding the table.

"Hey." I chuckled nervously. "No need to get all offended. I was just joking." My stomach had grumbled loudly in my ears and I found myself heading back to the food pantry to cure the feeling of hunger. Grabbing the first thing I saw from one of the shelves, I came back to where Tom sat in the room next to the kitchen.

"I said stop!" Tom moaned with anger, his eyes inverting, turning his irises, white and his scleras, a beetroot color. "This isn't you."

I began crunching down the snack I had chosen, listening to Tom. "What isn't me?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Just look at what you're eating!" He proclaimed, throwing his hands out infront of him dramatically.

I looked down at the half eaten cockroach that was still squirming in my hand. I had taken a big bite out of it without even caring about the flavor, not even being bothered by it. "So?" I tested, taking another bite.

"Marco, you are not a demon and you never will be!" He pounded harder on the table with both fists this time, resulting in the table shaking and his cup of punch almost spilling.

His face returned to it's grief-stricken expression with a mix of guilt. His eyes altered back to their original colors and he stood motionless.

All day I had waited for night, waiting for when Tom would go to sleep. I tucked in the same time he had, saying nothing and letting the silence stretch between us until I finally heard my brother's breathing steady. Then, I left.


	6. Earth

The cool, crisp feel of the night air touched my skin, making me feel reborn. My lungs took in the fresh air of the world with a giant exhale. And when I looked upwards, there was the sky, trillions of tiny sparkling stars staring down at me. I could get used to this Earth dimension.

What a shame it was, living underground, missing the scenery. I rarely had the chance to get out and I finally had room to stretch my wings as far as they can go, letting them soak up the real air that was breathable. Even as kids, Tom and I never went out as much. I don't know what was keeping us from getting out.

Not far from where I was, I heard the commotion of the humans, talking and laughing and beeping and honking, and driving around in their cars on a busy street. Beyond the trees, I could make out pieces and fragments of the towering, sky-high buildings that lit up inside and out.

I decided to take a look for myself, testing out my lazy wings. I hadn't used them in a long time, but flapping and fluttering them wasn't a problem. It was the actual getting off the ground part that was an issue.

"Alright." I told myself in a mumble. "Wings, don't fail me now." With a flap, I began to lift my feet an inch off the ground before having to come back down to retry. This time, I forcefully pushed my wings harder. I attempted three long flaps, feeling the wind pick me up the rest of the way.

In just a few seconds I was up, higher than the trees themselves. My body pumped the adrenaline and I lunged myself higher, above the clouds. As I reached them, passing by them, I felt the lively chill of the air, making me laugh with excitement. Forget the Underworld. This was what it was like to be alive. To feel the goosebumps prick you and for your hair to blow swiftly in your face. When I had reached the clouds, my wings were in control, the wind not being able to get to me at this height.

I couldn't stop my eagerness from getting the best of me and I howled throughout the sky, hearing my voice echo off into the dark night sky. This was what it was like to be truly free. No boundaries. No limits. I could go anywhere I wanted to go. I could do anything I wanted to do. It was perfect.

I dropped my head backwards, making my wings fly me upside down and in a circular motion until I fell back down underneath the clouds, falling head forward. For a split second, I let my wings glide me back to the ground before landing swiftly and silently in a dark alleyway of the Earth city.

My time for play was over. It was time to show Tom I was a true demon, a real demon. From the right corner of the sidewalk that wrapped around a building, I saw two silhouettes approaching. I stepped back into the alley, hiding in the dark shadows. I didn't want to reveal myself just yet. I needed to scare the mortals good. Luckily, I was just the demon to do so.

Soaring back up to one of the buildings' rooftops, I began to feel the agitating throb of my back, my infection becoming painful. I wouldn't have made it up on the rooftop if it wasn't for my quick reflexes to grab the edge of the roof when my wings gave out on me. I had no choice but to push my body up with both strong arms, feeling the unforgettable burn of my wings.

When I had finally pulled myself up, I fell back with a furious groan. Immediately feeling my aggravation kicking in, I threw my shirt off over my head, the rest of my smoothly curved demonic markings showing on my chest, stomach, and back. I could hear my shirt tearing by the tough force I was pulling it off by and my wings cut through the clothing, resulting in my shirt becoming shredded by the time I threw it over and off. Chucking my shirt clumsily at the ground, I tried to get the cool air to subside the stinging, throbbing sensation.

I reached my right arm over towards my back, tracing carefully over the infected area of my wings. I found that when I did so, the pain became more irritated, even by the slightest touch of my fingers on it. But I had to overcome it. If I was going to prove I was a demon, I needed to act like one.


	7. Riot

Putting a dog on its leash is just as easy as letting it off its leash. Let a dog off its leash and you learn your lesson. The dog will have a taste of freedom and abuse it. Go rogue. Until it's too late to reattach the dog to its leash.

Well, this is what happens when you let _me_ off _my_ leash. The punishment is this.

Completely neglecting my infection, I flew down below to the middle of the city streets, the breeze of the wind chilling my bare skin as I showed my demonic marks on my body with pride.

There were many small yellow and black checkered cars and other colored vehicles, waiting to get by the traffic of the night. The lights of the city illuminated brightly, flashing and flickering various neon colors. Animated advertisement signs hung on many brick buildings.

I smiled with my fangs. I could picture it now. The terror in the mortals' dumb faces when they see what I can do.

Vehicles had screeched to a stop to avoid hitting me while changing intersections, yet I could easily make a good dent in the side of their car if _I_ hit _them_. They began honking, their patience already broken. "Get out of the road!" An angered man with a strong voice had barked at me.

The tingle of my arms brought a vivid green static that transformed quickly into a full fledged fire outline of my entire body, including my wings. With my claws out, I grabbed the front hood of the yellow "taxi" car in front of me, digging my nails through the solid metal.

With that, I picked up the whole car effortlessly, swinging it over my head and tossing it onto the other side of the street full of other vehicles. It fell back to the ground with a thundering crash, literally shaking the ground that I stood on. Debris of car parts flew around and alarms of the vehicles had gone off. The car I had thrown was now sitting on top of others, upside down so that the tires spun helplessly.

The most pleasant was sounds of the mortals screaming. I definitely had their attention now and their fear only fueled me. I liked it. I felt invincible. This is what being a demon meant.

Some were quick to get away while others remained in their cars, too afraid to run or do anything. The ones who would try to run could try all they like. I'd still get them. As for the smart ones who stayed where they were and frozen in place, would get their incoming deaths.


	8. Takedown

By the time more cars with flashing red and blue lights had appeared, I was laughing maniacally, admiring my work of art in front of my own eyes. The streets were quiet and cars were either left neglected, turned over, or on fire. As for the mortals, they were all motionless on the streets, laying there so still, the humor of it made me smile.

"Freeze!" One of the police officer's voices shouted. He may have been trying to sound strong and brave, but I laughed harder, knowing he was terrified.

"You're too late!" I told them, my voice more confident than the officer's. "I caught every last one of them." I turned slowly to face them, my fire still burning around me. His face was horrified and he couldn't hold his gun at me without shaking. Alongside him, on the other side of the car, was another similar looking middle aged man with dark hair. The only difference was that the gunman had a short mustache.

Other police cars had followed right behind them, coming to a halt when they saw me. "Put your hands where we can see them!" Another one ordered. I did as I was told, still not letting the smile leave my face. Though I overheard the sound of their guns clicking, I didn't let it phase me.

"How idiotic of you. You think you stand any chance against me? You have no idea what I'm capable of!" My voice was deep and altered when I spoke aloud to them. With a single stomp of my right foot, the ground shook, causing them to whiplash backwards and drop their guns.

As they began to hurriedly get up on their feet again, I flew over to the gunman, hovering over him. His eyes were wide open in unmistakable fear. I could smell the sweat of his adrenaline coming off of him. I could hear his erratic vibrations of his heart and his deep, uneven breaths.

"You." I mumbled. I stared at him dead in his eyes.

Before I could grab for him, a hefty object was launched at me, pounding me into one of the brick buildings with a strong enough force to indent me, my body stuck there. I let out a wail in pain and my skull definitely got a tough blow. My ears began to ring as well.

I tried to ease my dizzy vision, fix the blurred colors of the world and focus my eyes. Each time I blinked, my dizzied eyesight died down and I could make out his face more clearly than before. His eyes were inverted and he was _mad_.

"Tom." I felt my mouth say, yet the lightheaded feeling had made it hurt to even move my mouth.


	9. Tampered Mind

He suspended my arms to the building where I hung and he was hovering. The soles of his shoes were set aflame along with his hands. "What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, his eyes fixated on me with fury. "Do you have any idea how many innocent people you just killed?!"

Honestly, his reaction to my demonic sin was not exactly the reaction I thought he'd have. It was a little more angry than impressed. "Get off of me!" I shouted but he didn't move.

"No! You're out of control! You're not a demon! You're a human!"

"No, stop! You're lying to me! I'm your brother!" I struggled with his tight grip, locking me in my place.

"I'm not your brother, Marco!" He declared, his jagged teeth bared and his eyes stern. He must have saw the look on my face as if he had stabbed me through the heart with a dagger because his eyes descended back into their normal colors and his grip on me loosened.

He let out a groan of frustration before the same angered look came back to him and he transported us back to the Underworld with his flaming magic. He hadn't let go of me only to use another strong force of his telekinetic powers to push me up against yet another wall and cuff me. The chains that held my wrists were fastened to the wall so powerfully that I couldn't break free.

With all the rage and might I had, I tried to wrestle against them, but with my body aching and my head crying out in pain, I couldn't. Every time I tried to get up and stand still, my legs wouldn't know how. My head discombobulated me with unsteadiness. My vision wasn't getting any better either.

When I rested on my knees, my arms were above me, raising themselves high in the air due to the height of the chains that didn't reach out far enough for me to even sit right. When my fighting became weaker and weaker, Tom approached me closer. I drooped my chin and kept my eyes staring on the ground, not wanting to even catch a glimpse of his face.

"I don't want to fight with you. I didn't mean for any of this to happen either." He began, his hands surrendered out in front of him.

"What are you talking about?" My voice was rough and scratchy, probably from yelling, though I wasn't yelling now.

"You really don't remember, do you?" He restarted, the expression of sorrow on his face when I looked up.

"No. Just tell me." I mumbled.

Tom took in a deep breath before he explained. He closed his eyes, unable to look me in the face. "Because of me, I made you do something that hurt someone... someone who turns out was _really_ important to you."

Tom must have read my blank, confused face when he opened his eyes because he sighed, out of hope to make me understand. "The memories you have of us aren't real. They're fake. You're not my brother. I-I'm sorry."

"I-I don't understand..." I muttered. "Why would you do that?"

"You asked me to. You said you didn't want to remember what happened so I erased your mind. I gave you new memories to replace the old ones as a way to keep you from asking any questions. I don't know. It's... complicated." He rubbed his arm while staring at his feet.

"Wh-how?" I shook my head, trying to still make sense of everything but my skull felt like it was going to explode. "Why?"

"If I can't make you understand, then maybe she can." He said.

"She?" I repeated.

"I-I'll be right back." He concluded, leaving me alone in the hallway, trapped there. I wanted to scream in frustration, but I couldn't. My body had officially lost all energy and now all I wanted was sleep.


	10. Healing Blind Eyes

Tom's footsteps echoed throughout the halls, telling me he had come back. He had been gone for so long, I got impatient and bored. I ended up counting how many lanterns in the hallway that would flicker and smolder out slowly, making a game with myself to keep my busy mind distracted.

Tom had been gone so long that several of the hallway lanterns burned out. Hour by agonizing hour, they went out until there were only three left still alive. My vision was so overcome with a dizzy blur, if it wasn't for the light of the lanterns being blocked by darker colors, I would have never guessed Tom was standing there in front of me. I looked up at him with the sudden light headed feeling from my skull.

My arms desperately wanted to be let down from their restricting chains, pins and needles taking over after the cut off circulation of blood to them. My knees and legs ached, being in a kneeling position for _way_ too long. I could feel my infection burning and my wings moved with pain. Even the slightest flap would cause me to yelp out. I was extremely exhausted too.

I don't know if he saw it too, but the feeling "horrible" was an understatement in my case. I felt as if I was being let die steadily and excruciatingly slowly.

"Came to finish me off or what?" I spat out, my tongue dry with dehydration and hunger. "I see you dressed nice for the occasion." I smiled, seeing through my poor eyesight to discover he was wearing a black and white tuxedo with matching dress shoes. Seriously, if he thought he was impressing me, he was wrong.

In my opinion, he looked like a professional jerk.

"I know you're mad, Marco, but you have to listen to me. I'm not here to torture you. Just trust me." He answered. His voice sounded muffled in my eardrums due to my pounding migraine.

I laughed softly, dropping my head again. "Why should I? I don't even know who you are anymore."

"Yes, but you know who _she_ is." He muttered, ushering someone as if to welcome them over.

Another figure had blocked my view of the lanterns lights, another pair of feet showing up next to Tom's. It was a girl.

She walked with light, hesitant, bare feet. She was an angel, alright. Beautiful and gentle in the face that held permanent pulp pink hearts on each of her cheeks. Her hair was a heavenly gold and so was the halo hovering above her head. Her white cloud wings left a slight trail of feathers that flaked off, discarded behind her. Her skin was literally glowing with fairness and purity. Just the sight of her made my heart explode with something new that I've never felt before. Awe, hell. What was this feeling?

"Marco?" Her voice rang through my ears like the sound of a softly played, high-pitched harp. Her voice alone was the sound of the perfect remedy to a deep, dark disease. "I-is that you?"

Her blurred hand came out in front of my face as if she wanted to touch me, yet she hesitated with a great struggle. Her eyes remained gentle and soft, but shocked at the same time. That's when I remembered my own face, sharp, menacing fangs, demonic ugly eyes, and broad black stripes as the most hideous face decor.

I felt the blood rush to my face and I tilted my head away so she wouldn't have to look at me anymore. "I know. I'm a monster compared to you."

"You're a... demon." She muttered matter-of-factly. Every time she spoke, I felt my heart cry out in joy for some reason. It was like her voice was enough to make me smile, which it did.

"And you're an angel." I chuckled. By the time I lifted my head back up, I had found she was reaching her hand up towards me, going to touch the edge of my wings that were folded behind me, still numb in pain. Her fingers traced them downwards, a tickle of an angelic touch on my left wing.

She seemed curious in me, making her wide eyes over to my back. At one point, her fingers slid down to the very bottom of my wings, reaching my back. The tickle had become a full blown sting, making me wince from the hurt of my infected areas.

The whole time, Tom had been getting further and further away as if to give me and the angel girl space. He kept his hands in his dress pants' pockets and watched silently.

"Why?" The girl asked, her voice in a hushed, edged whisper. I didn't quite understand her, my head still all fuzzy.

"Huh?"

"Why did you do it, Marco?" She retried.

"Do what? Who are you and how do you know my name?" I asked, all my questions tumbling out at once now.

"Marco?" She said in a painful voice as if I had seriously upset her. "I-it's me... Star. Don't you remember?"

It must have taken me too long to think or say something because the corners of her eyes were beginning to tear up. My mouth hung open, losing my only raspy voice I had. My skull felt as if it was being crushed over an excruciating amount of time, too much to take in at once.

Star.

 _Star._

Dammit. Why did that name sound so familiar? I've never heard it before in my life...

Or had I?

"C'mon! Don't just stand there!" She pleaded. "Say something... anything. Please, you have to remember me."

"I-I'm sorry. I can't." I mumbled.

As if to deny the truth, she shook her head. "No. That's not true. You're not Marco."

"I don't understand..." I said.

The angel girl raised her hands out in front of her and held my face with her soothing, holy touch. "Then, let me show you."

Then, my eyes began to flutter closed until I was in a heavy, unbreakable dream.

A nightmare.


	11. A Demon's Curse

Tom's eyes were inverted, giving me the hint he was furious with me. He had pinned me to the wall in the school bathroom, his mouth making different various shapes as his voice came out and bounced off the walls in an echo. My body was paralyzed and my eyes were in a hypnotic state, watching as he waved his hand infront of my face. It was smoldering magic on his fingertips that made me unable to focus on anything else other than his words.

"Listen carefully, Marco. You will not show any affections for Star. In fact, you will no longer talk to her. If she crosses your path, you will simply ignore her as if she isn't there."

I knew I should have been mad about Tom's words, but by the time his hand had left my eyes, I didn't care.

Before I even had enough time to make sense of what had just happened, everything had flashed in an instant. Next thing I knew, I was sitting on the couch, slumped in the middle of it as if to be a hog.

Next to me was a stone fireplace with many tiny trinkets sitting on it. A shelf above the fireplace had small potted cacti and even a few family photos that were framed. In the photos, three people stood closely together all smiling nicely. The two, a woman and a man, stood in the back.

The woman and man both had equally dark brown hair and eyes like the color of damp soil found on Earth. The woman's curly and tangled hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and wore an orange peach colored, long-sleeved shirt with a dark green tight skirt that went down to her ankles.

As for the man in the picture, he wore a tinted yellow-orange collar shirt with dark blue pants. He kept his hand resting on a boy's shoulder too. It was a scary familiar boy. I could have sworn he looked exactly like-

The boy from the mirror.

Was that... _me?_

In front of me, there was a television that reflected off my face as grey and static. It appeared I was slumped on the couch and didn't care enough to get up and fix the antennas above the television. I just stared at it, remote loosely in my relaxed palm.

It appeared that a blonde girl with the same eyes and hearts as Star was trying to get my attention - no, it _was_ Star.

She was waving her hands out infront of her, trying desperately to get me to look her way. I didn't care, as strange as it was. I truly didn't care and for some reason. I just wished she would leave me alone.

Her voice had come in, fuzzy and muffled, until she began to raise her voice, yelling at me. That's when I began to hear her. "Marco Diaz!" She hollered, getting quickly upset in just a matter of seconds. "I know you can hear me! Why are you ignoring me?!"

When I didn't answer, she groaned out loud, stomping her foot hard. "What's the matter with you?! You've been like this all day!"

From calm and composed, I had reached maximum anger and frustration with Star, turning off the television, which was the only source of light in the living room, and stood up. "Just leave me alone! I don't care, Star!" I wailed back, heading for the stairs that led to the floor above.

Star grabbed my wrist, catching me by surprise. "Marco, wait." She demanded. When I tried to yank my arm away from her grip, she held on tighter, not letting go. When I gave her a cold, hard stare, she gave me a confused, sympathetic stare back. Her eyebrows were raised and her pupils were shaking with worry.

"Let go." I spat out through my bared teeth. She did so, still holding her expression on her face. When I looked back at her eyes, I felt the sudden sanity return to me. My eyes matched her's, only to make me shake my head and wipe off the feeling of guilt and go back to anger.

Then, I went for the front door. Just as I gripped the doorknob, Star interrupted me. "Where are you going?"

I winced, shutting my eyes tight. "Out." I claimed, twisting the doorknob and slamming the door closed behind me when I left. "And don't follow me."

Just like my last vision, this one had flashed to white for a millisecond and changed my surroundings. This time, I was by a river in the forest. The sun was just setting along the world's horizon with a mix of orange and slight pink.

The river split through the forest, breaking the land into two separate sections. Its water rushed and poured down from a small waterfall nearby. It was calming, soothing my nerves. When I closed my eyes, all I could hear was the water in the distance, falling down with a trickle and crashing down on the rocks below it.

I sat up against a sturdy, old tree, finding a comfortable place in its above ground roots as if it was made for my body's shape. It was as if I was being cradled there and soon my mind became at peace with the nature around me.

"Marco?" The same girl's voice shook through my eardrums, even though my name in her voice came out in a whisper.

Sounds of rustling and crunching leaves underneath someone's feet had joined in with the sound of the river and trees above, making nature's music suddenly become disturbed and shaken.

I let out a grumble of total frustration. I should have known she was going to follow me, even when I told her not to. When I opened my eyes, I found her too, standing innocently in front of me.

I stood up, her eyes watching my every move. "I told you to not follow me." I stated dully.

"No. I'm sorry, Marco, but you're my friend and I just need to know... what's going on?" She said it as if I had an actual problem, like there really was something wrong with me.

" _You're_ my problem, Star! Why can't you just get out of my life?" I had shouted out of pure madness. Star, in response, stepped back. Her eyes went blank and I could practically hear the sound of her heart plummeting inside of her.

Another flash of white had taken over, pushing further a couple of moments into the future. I had gotten physical and aggressively pushed Star to the ground.

Another flash.

I was yelling at her, but I couldn't make out my own words as my voice seemed to be indistinct and dimmed. Star's face was horrified, staring at me with tears taking over on her face, still looking up at me from the forest ground where I pushed her.

Another flash.

Star had gotten up only for me to push her down again. This time, however, she slipped and fell headfirst into the shallow river. She hit her head on the rocks that weren't far below, probably giving her a concussion, judging by the way she held the back of her head. Sounds had become muffled and flashes became quicker and more frequent.

As another flash came, Star had lunged at me, pulling me into the river with her.

Another flash.

I had taken Star by her shoulders, pushing her down into the river, causing her to flail her arms in the rushing water frantically.

Flash.

My anger had become full fledged and I couldn't bring myself to stop holding her underwater.

Flash.

I didn't care about her. The only thought that crossed my mind was that I just wanted to get rid of her. She kept her arms flailing as she tried to keep her head above the water. But, I didn't let her. Every time she came up, she came up for breath, her mouth gasping for air.

Flash.

A pair of strong arms had taken me and attempted to pry me off of Star.

Flash.

Tom's face was maddened. He held up his hand, hovering it there once again. His hand flared up with orange fire and he chanted over and over. "I release you! You are no longer of my possession! I release you! You are no longer of my possession!" Over and over, desperate for me to stop.

Flash.

Star had gone motionless. She was no longer fighting me.

Flash.

I cradled her in my arms. She was still damp from the river and her head was drooped back. Her eyes were closed and her mouth hung open. I held her into me, her dead weight, too much to carry. I was crying and the feeling of guilt had taken its hold on me. My throat and lungs burned from dehydration and the tears I cried. "Star! Star! C'mon, wake up! I'm sorry..." I choked up at my last words, not being able to pull myself together.

I could feel her tangles as I ran my fingers through her hair, gentle and fair as the rest of her.

Flash.

I had finally put Star down, resting her hands on top of her stomach. I took off the red sweater I wore and laid it on her as if to let her sleep with a form of comfort.

Tom watched me, his mouth quivering and shaking just like mine was.

Another flash and I had gasped, unable to see what would happen next. I didn't _want_ to see what happened next. I jerked away from Star's hands on my face and my breathing had become unsteady. My heart was racing and roaring in my ears. I looked down at the ground, trying as hard as I could to make sense of it all.


	12. An Angel's Touch

I hadn't even realized I was crying until I had pulled myself out of the dream. Maybe I wanted to accept it. Maybe I wanted to believe it.

But, to be honest, it's much more easier to accept and believe what you knew all along. Of course I was in denial. It just made no sense to me. It had to all just be a big prank. But if it was, then why would Tom go through such an extreme extent to prank me?

No. Maybe I was the one who was wrong and maybe Tom was right.

Still, I refused it all. I shook my head, still looking downwards. "It's not true. I wouldn't - I mean, I didn't..."

Star turned her head behind her, giving a concerned glance to Tom before facing me again. "Why would you do this to yourself?" She murmured, staring deep into my eyes with her shaking pupils as if to find the answer inside of me.

I shook my head at her again, my voice gone. I kept my eyes locked on her own delicate baby blue pearls. It took me three times to retry to get my voice back and when I did, I used it. "It wasn't me."

Star's gentle eyes had widened in size. I turned to him, my instincts telling me to look at the culprit with the three eyes and pair of horns. When my eyes turned in his direction, Star's followed.

Tom's face fell frozen in total shame and unexpected guilt. His mouth had fallen open, yet he didn't know what to say. Instead of trying to save himself, Tom let his mouth shut.

"Tom?" Star said, expecting him to have an explanation.

He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Star. I didn't mean to. And you know how much it hurts to admit for me, but-"

"What. Did you do?" She exclaimed, cutting Tom off from stalling any further. For the first time that I heard her voice, it had developed a stern and dismal tone.

"Look, I was just...I thought that if I hypnotized Marco to force him to completely ignore you that I would..." Tom sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I just wanted you back. But the spell was too powerful...I made Marco too strong to even stop himself. By the time he did, it was already too late...you were gone."

Star gazed down at the ground, a moment of silence falling on all of us. Then, she inhaled and exhaled calmly. "It's okay, Tom." She said, lifting up her head to him with a half smile.

"Y-you're not _mad_?"Tom remarked, making a queer face.

"No." She breathed. "I mean, of course I am, but not really. There's nothing I can do to change the past. What's done is done, anyway." When she spoke bittersweetly, her eyes began to water and drip down her soft cheeks until they fell from her face and to the ground.

"Awe, c'mon!" Tom proclaimed, throwing his hands out infront of him with over exaggeration. "Be mad! Yell at me! I can take it!" He shouted.

In response, Star had spoken louder, at a shouting volume too. My heart had thumped when she yelled, the unexpected volume of her own broken voice. "What do you want me to say? You're a demon, Tom! I can't just stop you from being one!"

"What do you mean? Do you want me to kill Marco? Because I can do that!"

"No! I'm saying you're a _demon!_ It's who you are! I can't help it that you try to get what you want!" Now she was sobbing fully, her tears clogging her voice from coming out until she was literally choking on them.

Star may have been the one with the forgiving, angelic nature, but I was the one with the demonic temper. I didn't feel any sympathy for what Tom did. What he did, he did to only benefit himself and no one else.

"Don't take pity on him, Star." My voice came out strained as I attempted to stand at the same time. "He doesn't deserve it."

I held on tight to my chains and pulled myself up, though I couldn't feel my arms as I had lost all feeling in them hours ago. My legs didn't seem to be helping much either. My knees were dead-tired and too weak to even _try_ to stand, but I still did.

My entire body had been inflicted with pain, making my stomach clench when my infected wings continued to torment me. My arms and legs cried and begged to give out. The pain had invaded my skull-pounding migraine, making it worse until the blurry, yet settled, colors of the Underworld had mixed together again. Immediately, I felt the lightheadedness catch up with me.

She must have saw my immense struggle to get up because Star ceased from crying to come to my side. "Careful." She sniffled, giving me her hand to hold me up. "What happened to you? You look so pale."

"I-I'm fine." I said, trying to sound confident, although my voice came out frail and unsteady. I heaved in and out before restarting. "Just a bit tired."

I took one quick look at her eyes on me and I saw that she knew I was stretching the truth. Her eyes were sympathetic. "You're lying. Marco, you have a concussion."

"Wh-how do you know?" I asked.

"Your pain. It's radiating off of you." She began. "I can help. Angels are known for having a healing touch." Star chortled, dropping her head before looking up at me again. She brought her face close to mine until I could see the single sparkle in her glassy eyes.

Then, she kissed me.


	13. Welcome to Hell

It wasn't normal. It wasn't right.

Angels and demons - like two completely different species. It is expected from demons to cause chaos and sin. But when that sin came from an angel, it was serious. Star had sinned by kissing me. She knew that too, for sure.

Her lips were delicate and tender, making my heart jump into an erratic beating and my stomach tickle with the feeling of butterflies. The fuzziness had taken control over my whole body, yet not enough to subside any of my symptoms.

I froze, unable to comprehend what was happening. My mind was racing a million miles a second. I didn't know Star. I guess that she thought she could brainwash me into believing I knew her, making a story about my fake past.

I wasn't a human. I was a demon and I was born one. I knew who I was. I only had met Star until now.

Star was a stranger.

I pulled away from her, making her open her eyes to study me. Her eyes were soft as always but I could see through her trickery. She was trying to make me feel like _I_ was the one who was crazy. She wasn't trying to heal me at all. She was trying to control me. In fact, I hadn't felt any different. My body still had sharp pangs, even if I moved the slightest.

It made sense too. Tom had brought her here. Tom was the one in on the sick joke as well.

The only thing I didn't understand was why they decided to torture me like this. Why me?

"What's wrong?" She murmured.

My eyes had averted to Tom, witnessing him subtly clench his fists until they sparked with furious flames, though I wasn't sure why. When I turned back to face Star, she still stared at me with deep eyes, scanning my face.

If this devil with white feathered wings wanted to play games, I could play too, except dirtier.

"Nothing." I said with a light tone, letting my eyes match her's with a gentle sparkle and smiling halfway with my fangs out. I leaned closer to her as she soon copied. My lips fell on her own. This time I kissed her back. Her hands soon were on my face, going upwards until they were in my hair and combing it.

When I pulled away from her to breathe, her cheeks had reached a rosy red. She dropped her eyes and I knew she was trying to not make eye contact with me.

I lifted my head, searching for Tom, but he was nowhere to be seen. He must have been so enraged, he stormed out. It was funny, really. How I was able to kill two birds with one stone. They may have tried to scam me, but I'm the real demon here. I saw what they were doing.

Now I had Star wrapped around my finger, turning the tables on her own manipulation. As for Tom, I had made him believe that I believed it all, gullible and innocent, but now I was the one drawing the ace.

Star looked up at me now, as I did the same. I flapped my wings once to make the pain in my body worse, using the pain to my advantage. I let out a believable yelp as Star came to my instant aid. Just as she went for the cuffs, trying to wrestle me free from them, a voice broke out.

"Star, don't." It was Tom. He had made a grand reappearance into the hallway.

"It's fine." She insisted, continuing to pry off the cuffs from my wrists. I didn't know if it was her immortal angelic strength that had done it or not, but she had managed to tear off both of my restraints eventually. When she did, my body was too weak to even stand as the chains were the ones to keep holding me up.

When I fell down like an anchor, Star caught me, full strong arms. I held onto her, trying to regain my balance. Pain had rushed through me like a blazing fire. I fell to my knees and without Star's support, I would have fallen completely to the ground. I groaned involuntarily as this was a pain I could not fake. If Star wasn't as incredibly hefty as she was, I would have taken her down with me. Still, she kept a firm and tight grasp on me.

"Just let go." I told her, feeling my body want to give out and drop to the ground. She did so, leaving me on my hands and knees on the ground. I dropped my head and tried to keep my breath steady since it also hurt to inhale in and out properly.

Tom stepped forward to Star's side, tugging at her arm as if to back her away from me. Star reciprocated by jerking her arm away from his grasp. "Star, I mean it." He demanded sternly. "He's not the Marco you're looking for. He needs to be kept-" Star cut him off.

"No, just - leave me alone. I know what I'm doing." She muttered back, then crouched down to meet my eyes. "Are you okay?"

I dropped my head, a laugh coming out of my throat, forced and dark. " _I_ am." I began, both corners of my mouth tugging up into a smile. "But you won't be."

Going against every pained nerve in my body, I lunged myself at her, pinning her up against the wall, holding her there by her throat.


	14. The Voice

Her pupils shook with more intensified fear, but the rest of her didn't seem phased. Despite the brute hold I had on her throat, she didn't look like she was suffocating.

My other hand, in a fist, was engulfed in a vivid green fire, ready to strike and hit at its target. "Do it." Star pushed. "It's not going to work. I'm already dead. There's no point in trying." Her voice was broken and looked like a lot of effort for her to say while holding back her tears.

"Marco, no!" Tom shouted and for the first time in all of my immortal years have never heard him so fearful. He yanked on my fired up fist, spreading more pain to my body. I fell to the ground hard with a thud just as the pain startled me, shooting down my nerves.

"Stop!" Star proclaimed. "You're hurting him!"

Tom turned back to Star just as I needed time to recover. "He was going to hurt you if I didn't do anything!" He argued loudly back.

"He gets it from you, y'know?" Star said, her voice now composed as she was ignorant and clueless. She came back over to me, sympathetic face and all. She knelt down next to me on the floor again, unafraid to even be near me. My anger had flooded into my blood and caused a noticeably strong aura of vivid green flames around me.

"Marco?" Star whispered with a voice that sounded like a delicate song. I looked up at her only to find my headache becoming too much to bear. I stared back down at the dirt floor of the hallway, trying to sustain myself. The angered feeling wouldn't go away, and neither would the gut-wrenching pain. My powers kept flowing through my body as I was not in control of them anymore. It outlined my hands, my arms, and even to the tip of my horns and wings.

"Hey, stay with me. Just look at me, okay?" Her voice was soothing, yet had an edge of uneasiness. Her hands fell into my hair and I knew she was just trying to calm me. Her fingers played with my hair, trying to comb it back. She hadn't taken her eyes off of me, and she didn't cease from talking in a gentle manner. "I know you're in there, somewhere. You're stronger than this. Fight it off."

I opened my eyes and gazed up at her, her own eyes becoming bold just by my own on her's. If I concentrated away from the pain hard enough, I could find my own exquisite green eyes reflecting in her blue ones. "I'll be here all night if I have to." She murmured.

My body was shaking abnormally. The blood in my veins seemed to stop to flow in reverse. My heart began to thump and pump until it was all I could hear as I looked up at Star. I reached my careful, long nails up to her and she must have froze either being alarmed or curious to see what I was doing.

And to my surprise too, I discovered I didn't know what exactly I was doing either. Part of my me wanted to punish her for her foolishness in messing with me, but the other half wanted me to believe and forgive her.

I caressed her neck with my sharp nails for fingers. I wanted to squeeze her neck until she felt it and knew the feeling of pain.

 _No!_

A scream from inside of me had broken out and pulled my hand away from her. Star's face must have saw mine go from hurt and furious to relaxed and guilty.

 _Star._

The voice said again, making me want to shout and yell and wail out in aggravation. What was this voice that kept invading my thoughts?

 _I would never hurt you. I'm sorry._

But I did! I had no mercy for it! I'm a demon and a demon doesn't have any regret!

 _She was your best friend. How could you?_

Go away! Where did this voice come from? Why are you here?

 _Star._

 _Star._

 _Star._

It was clear now. Repeating her name in my head seemed to be working. My hand had pulled back and taken her own hand, which was still on my head, and I took her hand in mine. She held onto me with a light and loose hold as I held on with a firm grasp. I interlocked my fingers with her fingers and didn't want to let go.

"St-Star?" My voice spoke up, a slight cracky, making the angel in front of me light up with a chortle. Her hand tightened a bit, but my grip was becoming the loose one now. My strength was weak and I couldn't get rid of the fuzziness and dizziness of my vision from coming. My hand slipped out of her own and I had fallen out of exhaustion, now completely on the ground.

The Underworld had went black.


	15. The Dark Angel

My fingers involuntarily twitched, bringing me back to life. It took a few moments but my eyes finally flickered to be staring up at the Underworld's ceiling. My headache, after hours of torture, had calmed down. My vision, a bit more clear. The only thing I didn't want to find out was if my wings and back were still in pain. I didn't want to sit up or else I might discover the pain to be stinging or just a slight ache.

My arms were spread out on either side of me but I couldn't feel them, not to mention my legs as well. I felt like I couldn't feel anything, like I was just a drifting soul with no body.

My fingers hit a soft, light object and I rolled my head to my right to discover it was a feather, blackened completely. It wasn't until I had picked it up and played with it with my fingers that I noticed it wasn't the only one. I discarded it back to the ground where it came from as if the others were of more interest.

There must have been dozens of them, laying out in front of me and darkened to a deep black. Carefully and excruciatingly, I got up with a groan. My eyes didn't stop inspecting the mess of black feathers around me. They appeared to be a trail of them too, until they left the lengthy corridors until they were out of my sight.

If that wasn't enough of a mystery for me to make sense of, I was abandoned, left alone so that the silence added to the suspense.

Thinking I could get up fully was a mistake, as my infection had bit further into me and my wings around it were too heavy to want to be carried. I fell into the wall on my left as if the pain was telling me to stay down. I sunk back down to the ground, letting my pain get the best of me. Just as I did so, I heard the sound of hollow plastic. I had kicked something that was by my foot. Leaning up against the wall on my left side, I lifted my head and found something - something even more strange than the trail of black feathers. It was a solid blackened perfectly round disk. To be more precise, it looked like a huge ring.

With my foot that had kicked the odd ring, I slid it closer to me as I did not want to risk another sharp pang to my body. When it was close enough for me to pick up, I did so. It felt like cold metal in my hands as I observed it up close. What was this anyway?

"Tom?" I tried to call out into the hallway, yet my voice came out hoarse and cracked. "Tom?" I retried with more volume. Although the direction I was calling him from was not the direction where he had come. His footsteps had come from behind me, echoed and slurred as if he was dragging his feet when he walked.

When I turned around, there he was. He face had gone from concerned to relaxed and relieved. He sighed deeply. "Thank the Devil. I thought you were - nevermind." He waved his hands out infront of him as if to wipe away his last statement. "All that matters is that you're-" Once he had taken a few quick steps my way, he stopped in his tracks, gazing down at me.

"What?" It took me half a second to realize it was the giant black ring in my hand that had struck him dumb. "Tom, what is this?" I asked, giving him the ring to let him see for himself.

His eyes had went from bold to small and wavering. After a long moment of silence, I was sure he was thinking too much. It was like he was there, but absent.

"Tom?" I tried to grab his attention but he seemed too focused on the ring in his hands.

"Star's halo." He mumbled to himself so low, I almost wasn't able to make out his inaudible words. "She sinned and now she had to be punished."

"Star? Where is she?" I cried out, making me sound desperate to know what happened to her. I got up with the strength I didn't even knew I had, yet still holding onto the wall for support.

"She... had to go back."

"Back? Back where?"

"The Above." He said. "Where all the angels go."

"What? Why?" I don't know why I cared but I still felt the strong urge to know. Tom held his stressed temples and moaned, frustrated. I guess my extensive questions were aggravating him.

"I don't know. I'm not an angel. Look, I don't have all the answers, okay?" He explained.

"No. I have to go see her." I insisted with a voice that sounds like an out of tune key on a piano, cracked and in distress. Once I started walking, however, the pain came back and struck me, making me almost fall forward.

Tom, with his quick instincts kicking in, kept his hands out infront of him as if he was going to save me if I fell, which I refrained from doing.

"Woah, Marco, take it easy. She's... _fine_." He said, a slight hesitation at his last sentence.

"I need to know for myself." I argued back. "I need to see her. She-she..."

"You need to rest. You can hardly stand up. C'mon, let's go." Tom took me back to our room and helped me with a careful manner into my bed. The pain of my wings made me yelp out while I tried to lay down slowly.

Tom, trying to be helpful, put his hand on my back for support, only making it worse. I flinched from the sting of his hand and slapped his arm away. "Stop!" I snapped. "You're not helping!"

It took me only a couple of minutes to drift into sleep as I was _exhausted_. The comfort of my own bed made my body cry out in joy and soon my eyes were fluttering shut until my mind had made out a scene for me. It was her and for some reason I hadn't forgotten a single detail.

Golden, shining, blonde hair and bright blue eyes that if I stared into them long enough, I felt like I was flying in the bluest of the sky. Her skin hadn't failed from its angelic glow and her wings, white and blinding and her golden, shining halo that hovered above her head.

And the way she smiled at me. She was... beautiful.

Then, as if to play with me, her image had been warped. She became almost a completely different person. No halo, no wings. She wore a mint colored, short, knee length dress and red devil horns for a headband.

She outstretched her arms and as if I thought it wasn't possible, her smile grew. "Hugs!" She sang, diving into me and wrapping her arms around me into a tight, suffocating hug.

That's when it came back to me.

I remember that moment. When Star hugged me. When she wore the exact dress she wore that night she had done it. The night when we were in the parking lot of that convenience store. The night when the monsters came for Star's wand, but we fought them off.

That's when it all began to make sense.


	16. The Sly and the Naive

I woke up, feeling groggy and achy yet better than ever. I yawned and stretched my body out as well as my wings. When outstretched, my wings could reach out as far as the length of my bed, but if only my infection still didn't aggravate me with a stinging. I turned my head over to Tom's bed to discover he wasn't there at all. I guess I wasn't the first one up.

As I made my way to the kitchen by the corridors of lit torches, I found something a bit suspicious too. The dark feathers, along with Star's halo, had been picked up and were gone. It felt strange to me for some reason. I knew Tom was the one to do it, but why would he care about taking care of a few discarded feathers?

My stomach roared at me, aggressively telling me to keep moving to the kitchen. So I did. The kitchen, as well as the rest of the corridors in the Underworld, were oddly quiet. I wondered if this was going to be a reoccurring thing - Tom leaving off mysteriously and me being lost in confusion.

"Tom? You there?" I called out into the empty kitchen as I stepped into the doorway. There was no answer. Not even his footsteps could be heard in the distance.

Still feeling a bit dazed and confused, I headed over to the pantry in search of something that would cure my raging, growling feeling of hunger. The overwhelming amount of meat and other foods stared back at me, yet I couldn't find the effort or energy to make up my mind.

I left the pantry with a grumble just in time to be startled by a figure, making itself comfortable on the edge of the kitchen's built in rectangular table. I jumped back from total and sudden fright, my heart feeling like it was being swallowed fully. My wings went stiff before I realized who it was and then I relaxed.

"Hey." He said. Unlike last night, he wore his regular clothing again. He had on his torn at the sleeves tank and dark black lengthy shorts with long light brown boots. "You're awake."

"Where were you?" I asked him, knowing full well he hadn't been in the kitchen until he heard me come in.

"What do you mean?" He questioned me back. In his hand, he had another plastic red cup filled with bubbling punch, as another one was left on the table next to him. He took it and handed it out in my direction.

"Uh... thanks." I said, taking the cup out of his hand and cradling it in both of my hands. I dropped my head, not finding interest in any bubbling punch however. I couldn't get my mind off Star.

I remember that dream. It happened and if that dream was my mind telling me to remember her, then I was going to trust my instincts and listen. Still, if it was true, that meant that I wasn't really a demon.

My wings gave me a sudden harsh sting, the shake of my disturbed nerves making me fall into the frame of the doorway. Tom instantly stood up, hand out but hesitating to do something.

"I'm okay." I assured him. "Where's the medication?"

"Uh..." His voice shook and was just as hesitant as his actions.

"Agh, Tom! The medication?!" I urged, the stinging growing madder when I tried to get back up. I must have gripped my cup too hard from the pain because next thing I knew the bubbling punch had spilled onto the floor.

"Uh, okay, okay!" He left at last to go search for it, leaving me to desperately wait for his return.

It wasn't until a couple seconds later, a new pain had arose, but it wasn't from my infected wings. As odd and unexpected as it was, it was my hand that felt like it was being held over a fire, the heat rising and becoming noticeable. It felt as if someone was pricking the back of my hand with a needle continuously.

I yelped and dropped the plastic red cup that had the holes from my nails digging into it, puncturing it. The bubbling punch had escaped out of the holes and spilled out onto the ground as well as my hand. What I couldn't seem to wrap my head around was how it stung, not badly yet just enough. To try to get it off, I wiped my wet hand on my pants, which soon subsided it. Last time I checked, punch - bubbling or not - was definitely not supposed to sting.

"Marco!"

I looked up, the voice sounding like she was close to my ear. Her voice didn't sound as delicate and welcoming than I had recalled. Her voice was now corrupted with a fear-stricken tone and rushed panic.

"Marco, please!"

"Star?" I turned around only to discover she wasn't anywhere to be found. My hopeful smile to see her had faded quickly as I twisted and turned my head at every angle, here and there, only to not find a single trace of her.

When she spoke again, she had spooked me, like the first time she did. "If you can hear me, say something."

"What?" Before I could utter another word, Star interrupted.

"This is telepathy. Just think what you want to say in your head."

Just as she had explained, I followed along, talking in my own mind.

"What's going on? Where are you?" I asked.

"That's not important. Just listen to me. Don't trust Tom! He's trying to kill you!"

"I'm back." His disrupting voice boomed. The sound of his casual voice made my stomach churn as I knew exactly who it was.

Suddenly, I couldn't get Star's warning out of my head. It spun around like a whirlpool at a hundred miles an hour.

"He's trying to kill you."

Then that's when I recalled it. My hand still stung a bit and my drink was spilled completely onto the floor, losing its ability to bubble.

Drinks weren't meant to sting unless something was put in it, especially something that wasn't supposed to be in it in the first place.

"Tom?" I said, his face still remained undisturbed. "What was in this punch?"

"What are you talking about?" He chortled.

"Maybe I should spare you the details then and get straight to the point." I told him matter of factly. "You tried to poison me."


	17. Demon vs Demon

"Why would you-?"

"Oh, Marco. Don't act so surprised." His jagged smile and shrug was confident as he put down the medication on the table and came over to me. "I mean, did you honestly think I had a reason to keep you alive?"

"Keep me alive?" I repeated, yet Tom continued to ramble on.

"But of course you always make it more difficult than it has to be. I should have known to get rid of you sooner. It would have been easier for the both of us, don't you think?"

"Why would you want to kill me? What did I ever do to you?" I asked through my gritted teeth, trying to bite down and hold in the anger rising quickly in me. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my hands' palms and resisting me from wrapping them around his throat. His intimidating, smug face stared at me, daring me to dive at him.

He kept his hands casually in the pockets of his shorts as he went on once more.

"Well, I've got to hand it to you, Marco. You definitely know how to play the innocent one in this fight, but we both know you're not. You see, my precious Starlight has chosen you over me. She may have been the one to fall for your games, but I saw right through you. You wanted to see me suffer!"

His eyes had inverted almost instantly and now he was enraged. His body grew in blazing flames, outlining him entirely. I got up to meet Tom's face at the same height, my eyes burning with fury just like his were.

"But what good will killing me solve? I guess you never thought about what me, or Star, or anyone else ever wanted! You're a selfish and disgusting person, Tom! You're a cheat and a fake! You think everyone sees you as this good person because you act so charming, but the truth is... you're not. You only act like it to get what you want. And if it doesn't work, you try to take it by force!"

Tom turned swiftly around, darkness around his eyes and his irises were white and his scleras were beetroot colored. His hands dug into both of my arms and he lunged me into the wall, pinning me there. I could practically feel his breath coming off in strong and hefty breaths. My wings behind me, taking the worst of the impact, had been intruded with a strong stinging. I yelped out as my infection would rather appreciate the medication than being forced into the wall and probably leaving a dent.

"I'm not the only fake here!" He wailed. "You're just a human with silly horns and uncontrollable wings! In fact..." A faint smile had crept onto his face as his eyes left my face and met something else, something behind me. "I bet your wings are fake too."

He had grabbed the collar of my shirt and tugged me toward the ground face forward until I fell with a brute thud. I groaned in pain, my back taken over with aching and a burning feeling.

Tom's boot came down on my back, forcing me to stay down and pushing the oxygen out of my lungs before I had time to take another breath. He clung onto my right wing, pulling on it until the excruciating pain made me scream out loud.

"Tom... stop... please..." I choked out, but he didn't listen. He took hold of my other wing, doing the same as he tried to pull both out now. The more force he used to pull, the more the pain was too much for me to bear.

If this was what it was like for a demon to die and be taken out of immortality, this was the most cruelest, most gruesome way to do it. With each second the pain chewed at me though, I thought that I wasn't immortal. I was dying, having the same experiences a human would if they died. A painful, painful experience that can't be solved with any regular mortal abilities. There was nothing I could do to stop it either. Tom was the one with the ability and powerful strength to pull out my wings as I was the mortal, left on the ground to cry until my human heart stopped beating. This was dying for a human.

Still, I sobbed out loud, desperately wishing it wouldn't kill me. The more the pain grasped onto me, however, I secretly wished I was dying. That way I wouldn't have to face this excruciating feeling of both of my wings being torn out at once.

The edges of my vision began to blur and darken to black, my lungs not being able to hold one steady, full breath so instead it was spewed out when Tom's foot got heavy on me.

"I said... stop!" I howled out, my voice altered in a deep, angered growl. My wings stretched out as far as they could, widely out. Tom's weight was thrown off of me, my lungs yearning for oxygen and finally able to heave it in.

I got up but not before failing the first time as my muscles ached and my back screamed with a mad burning sensation. My legs shook with fear. Trying to get up on them was like trying to get up on legs that were made of noodles.

My eyes adjusted more clearly but my head soon thumped and throbbed, making my surroundings spin and blur together. I clutched my head and waited for the throbbing to subside. When I finally looked up, Tom had watched me with great bulging eyes, sitting up against the wall.

Around us, the kitchen was engulfed in sporadic areas with a green glow. Blurs of bright green fire set flames to the floor and furniture around us. Debris of fallen curtains and broken dishes lay littered on the dirt ground.

Not only that, I was glowing too. My whole body was traced with a vivid green smolder, not wanting to go out, neither do I even remember summoning them. It was probably the feeling of numbness that came to me, not making me aware of the tingle I would have felt when I did.

As if to be frightened and threatened by my sudden movements to come closer to him, Tom backed up until he was literally curled up against the wall. I went for his neck, diving onto him and grabbing him by his throat. I held him against the wall for support and lifted him higher and higher, until his feet hung in the air.

The terror was in him now, shaking his bold pupils and making him frantic to get out of my tight hold as he tried to free his throat by prying my hands away. His cheeks had reached a dark red and I knew he was choking.

Finally I turned away and guilt rose within me. I let him go, dropping his body to the ground harshly like a rag doll. He coughed violently until his breath couldn't catch up with him, causing him to cough some more. When he was done, he focused on breathing in and out slowly to not cause a third fit. He held his throat as if he was still being choked until it was over.

"You should be lucky I don't want to kill you." I told him, my demonic voice, gone, and my weak voice prevailed.

"I knew you wouldn't." His frail and shaken voice spat out. "You don't have the guts to do it."

I clenched my teeth with aggravation and my stomach felt nauseous. Lucky for me, however, I did not throw up. Instead, I felt my head get heavy and my body fell backward. But before I could stop myself from falling, my vision faded to black and I hit the ground. I had fainted entirely.


	18. Level Five

The first of my senses to bring me back to consciousness were my ears, the sound of Tom's voice echoed out as if we were in a lengthy, never-ending corridor. His voice faded from a muffled speech to a clear one.

"I'm surprised you're not already dead. I've got to hand it to you, Marco. You're tougher than I thought you were. But a demon has their ways of breaking someone."

I still felt so tired and wanted to sleep. I was exhausted and even keeping my head up was hard. It was like my head was filled with solid iron, heavy and not wanting to be lifted.

Every time I tried to open my eyes, the blur of a brightly lit torch, the only source of light in the pitch black corridor, blinded me until I had to close my eyes again. I fluttered my eyelids, trying to get rid of the annoying blurs.

I began to hear whining and grumbling of other dark, low voices. They began to uproar and increase quickly in volume, waking up the rest of my senses. They were enraged, out of their minds, frenzied, and inhuman. The growling, hysterical laughing, and blood-curdling screams of various abnormal voices at once invaded my ears and woke me up.

It echoed, repeating out into the endless black abyss as my eyes wouldn't adjust to this much darkness. My stomach tied itself into tight knots and my heart started up with a speed of a million miles an hour.

"What is this place?" My voice cracked involuntarily from being unused. "Where are we?"

"Welcome to level five of the Underworld." Tom announced, bombarding my eardrums with an overjoyed tone. I could tell he was enjoying this, watching me fear for my life in an unknown, dark, dreary place. "The lowest of all the other levels."

The torch in his hand was lifted as he put his arms halfway up as if to gesture to the surroundings. Just like the rest of the Underworld, the ground was carved and sculpted into intersecting paths and trails that soon met. The thinly scattered columns of the rock and dirt connected the ceiling to the ground, supporting them.

To my right, a single doorway to a hallway in which I could only guess that Tom had taken me through, was unlike the giant, spacious area where we were. The trace of the hallway was arched at the ceiling and continued onwards into the even darker and frightening unknown.

"Only the most tormented souls and worst demons live here, locked up because of their insanity and deranged behavior. These are the demons with no humanity left. They have dropped so low, they have no remorse, no mercy, no right of mind. They are so crazy, they don't know how to think. They can't even understand what I'm saying right now!" Tom swanked as if it was something to be proud about. He spoke loudly, trying to shout over the screams and oblivious voices.

He lifted the torch in his hand, bringing light to something new I couldn't see before. Beyond the inky black darkness were clusters of hands, reaching out desperately and wildly. Dozens of crowded cells held them back though they never seemed to get exhausted from fighting their prisons' rusted bars.

They were all dark shadows of human figures with glowing yellow eyes but no mouths below, though that didn't stop them from being incredibly and uncontrollably loud. They screamed with distortion and deep demonic voices. Some even took hold of the bars that confined them and shook them hard until the rattling gave my head a pounding migraine.

One hand reached farther than the rest, however. So uncomfortably close that I felt the mist of the demon's cold hand wisp by the tip of my nose until I backed up, panicked by the close encounter. I scooted myself back so far off, I hit one of the rock columns of the ground and ceiling until I was sliding myself up against the wall.

My cowardly actions made Tom laugh. "A demon to cower from their own kind is no demon at all." He said intimidatingly.

"Take me home! Please!" I begged, my eyes shut tight and my hands covering my ears as hard as they could to try to ignore the tormenting demons.

"Sorry, Marco!" He crowed. "I'm afraid you already are." With that, he kneeled down to the floor, a trap door coming into sight when his torch illuminated off of it. A small, squared, wooden door lifted open by its squeaky and rusted hinges and he spoke again, but not to me. Instead, he spoke into the trap door's empty darkness. "How's my favorite Starship?" He jested into the deep hole of the trap door.

"Tom, where's Marco? If you even as much as laid a finger on him, I swear I will-" A familiar voice bellowed from beneath the ground. I cut her off, my heart feeling like it was screaming out in tears of joy and sadness simultaneously.

"Star! Star! I'm right here! I'm okay!" Going against every pained nerve in my body, from my migraine to my infected wings, I crawled over to the trap door just as Tom had stood up and backed away. His pleased and smug smile told me he was enjoying this.

I couldn't see into the pitch black hole and the more I squinted my eyes, the more of her figure I could make out. Her skin's fair glow and wings' white light was now fading but I could still see her. Her head was lifted up, looking at me and she got off the ground to stand.

"Marco?"

Every time I heard her voice, I felt relief wash over me. It was only when her face became stricken with fear that the worry came back to me. She wiped her smile off of her face and her eyes grew. "Look out!" She hollered just as I felt Tom's foot come down on me, pushing me into the darkness and past the door's hole. The demon's screams and laughter intensified and grew in volume, probably getting excited when I fell.

I fell on my stomach, my head getting a whiplash and I met the hard dirt ground in a matter of seconds. Star ran to my side, concerned and frantic. Above us, Tom announced. "Don't waste your time helping him, hun. If he isn't dead by tomorrow, I'll be back to do it myself."

The door above us closed and the only source of light of the burning torch was gone forever.


	19. Darkness and Light

"Stay still." She demanded. "You're gonna make it worse."

"It can't possibly feel worse than it already does right now." I groaned. When her hand landed on my back, I flinched as if she was made of fire. She took her hand off quickly, aware of my pain.

"Oh man. You're bleeding - bad." She mumbled. To be honest, I wasn't surprised. Despite not being able to feel the blood rush down my back, the numbness had made me completely clueless to the feeling. "What happened?"

"Nothing." I muttered back, not having any strength in my muscles to give her a real answer. I felt so tired, I could just sleep where I was, laying there on my stomach with my head resting on my hands.

"Are you okay?" She asked as if she knew my true pain.

"Yeah." I breathed back. "Just really... tired."

"Nononono! Marco, I need you to stay awake - just for a little bit longer!" She shook my shoulder hard but gentle enough to not hurt me further.

I smiled without opening my heavy eyes. She was so cute when she said my name, whether she was terrified or not. I let out a chortle before she said it again.

"Marco?"

I moaned in response, too exhausted to even form the words to speak with my mouth. "It's okay." I mumbled into my arm as my head rested on it. "You don't need to help. It's not like I'm immortal or anything." I chuckled at my last sentence but Star didn't. She didn't seem to even enjoy my joke.

"Do you even hear yourself?" She said, anger pushing into her tone of voice. "You're completely delusional! If you don't want me to help you, you'll die!" Her anger had brought along a shakiness and tone of hurt. "Is that what you want, Marco? I'll let you die if that's what you want!"

I knew she was bluffing. No way Star would let me die that easily. She was an angel after all. It was what angels did, healing the hurt. I heard her voice give out and she started to cry.

I lifted my head off my arms. For some reason, I hated to hear her cry. It unsettled me. Why did the sound of her unsteady sobs make me want to do the same?

"Star, why would I want to die?" I hollered, my own frustration getting to me. "Nobody wants to die!" No matter if it killed me or not, I got up with my wings bringing a burning feeling to my back. I got up and wrapped my arms around her, which made her cry harder. She returned the hug, holding me tightly, despite the fact I was covered in my own blood.

While she hugged me for a long minute, her hand slid down my back right into the center of my infection, making me wince. When she did, however, I felt the burning be replaced with a tingle and then the feeling of cold water being poured onto my back, giving me instant relief.

For that moment, a bright white light had taken over our underground prison until it blinded me. Star, hugging me into her, refused to let me go even when I yelped out in pain of my shrinking wounds and infection.

"It's okay." She whispered into my ear when I cried out like an injured puppy with a limp. "You're gonna be okay."

Her body and wings, that once gave off a blinding, bright, white light had descended back until we were left again in complete black darkness of the cellar. I closed my eyes. For the first time in forever it seemed, I was finally free from the physical pain that once took control of me.

I smiled just by the feeling of being able to breathe in without it coming out as a short, raspy exhale. My migraine had subsided entirely and my wings healed. The relief from the pain made me laugh through my tears until I wasn't crying from the overwhelming pain but from joy. My wings flapped with excitement, the air feeling like they could pick me up and drift me away. I felt weightless like no one could hold me down.

I leaped into the air and my wings brought me up higher. I was hovering off the ground now, my own laughter echoed off the walls.

While I was celebrating, however, Star went quiet. I turned back around, still hovering in the air as my wings flapped behind me. "Star?"

She let out a sniffle in response. I saw her on the ground, sitting there as her arms supported her up. One of her wings became splotchy and lost its light until I couldn't see it anymore. The only light of her right wing had become completely consumed in darkness. Some blackened feathers had pricked themselves off, only to sway to the rock ground.

"Wh-what's going on?" I said.

Star looked up at her dead wing then dropped her head again. "Tom told me this would happen. He said I would never be able to go back now. This is my punishment and I'm stuck here forever. I guess that makes me like you now. A demon?" She looked up again now and gave me a faint smile.

"Star, don't say that. You're not a demon." I told her, meeting her back down on the ground and kneeling beside her.

"I'm turning into one with every second that I'm here!" She cried out. "I'm judged for one little thing I did and all for what? Having actual, real feelings for someone?" Star shook my shoulders, causing me to almost stumble backwards. I took her wrists and held them in my hands to make her stop.

"Wait, what do you mean you... ?" My voice trailed off just as her's took over.

"And somehow helping a demon makes you a traitor! It's never good enough! Caring for someone and healing their wounds! The Above thinks I care for you because I've fallen for your spells and manipulation! But that's not true, Marco! I know you better than that." Star gazed back down at the ground, lost in thought. "If an angel can sin so easily, then how are there still any angels at all?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying... I don't want to go back." She muttered.

"Are you joking? The Above-"

"I don't care about the Above. Every little move I make is watched with caution. They follow you around and try to keep you in your place. They're so strict and uptight! At least the Underworld doesn't have angelic supervision like that. Demons can do whatever they want and get away with it."

"But... would you seriously rather spend an eternity here? In a small, dark, boiling hot cellar where you will be forced to transform into a dark angel?"

"As long as you're here, that's all I need to keep me sane." She shouted back.

A silence grew between us before I spoke again, my eyes softened and my voice had reached back down to a mumble. "Why do you care so much about me when I can't even remember who you are?"

Another stretch of silence. Star just shook her head and tucked her knees into her chest, hugging her legs. "I don't know." She said. "Maybe because I'm the one who's stuck with the memories."


	20. Remembrance

I must have fired at the trap door of the cellar ceiling eight times before Star shouted over my ruckus. "Don't bother. I already tried that. It's not going to work."

Every hard impact I made on the small square door brought a flash of white light to the room and every time I saw Star's face get more annoyed. "Just a couple more times. I almost got it." I huffed, trying to catch my breath.

I fired up another green flare and threw it as hard as I could back up at the ceiling's door. The door's heavy slide lock shook from the outside of the cellar, making the demons outside entertained and go in a frenzy.

"There's no way out." She said without hope as the demons' noise hollered on in a muffled tone.

"Why are you even here? What does Tom want from you?" I asked, heaving in and out, trying to catch my breath. I sat down beside her on the rock ground with my back and head supported by the wall.

"I don't know. He said he wouldn't let me out until I "learned to love him again"." Star used air quotes with her fingers and I could imagine she also rolled her eyes sarcastically. "And now that I'm technically a demon, it's not like I can just go back to the Above."

"Well... why can't you?" I said.

"Ehem?" She said, then pointed to herself with a circular motion. "Black wings? No halo?"

"Huh." I chortled. "I thought there was something different about you."

Star laughed as I did too. She sighed and I assumed she was looking at me, though I couldn't tell in the pitch black cellar. My smile faded and I could feel her stare that was settled, fixated on me.

"What? Is there something in my fangs?" I consciously picked at my right fang, scratching at a nonexistent piece of food.

She laughed again before answering. "No. I'm looking at you."

"O-oh." Was all I could say before I let my eyes drop and my cheeks became hot.

"I can't see a lot of you but your eyes glow in the dark... Green is a nice color on you."

"Uh-y-yeah. Thanks." My laugh came off as nervous and I was quick to try to save it as a phony cough. Then, after a moment of hesitation I asked her. "I don't know if it actually happened or not but... the moment back at that convenience store, y'know, the one we always went to... I guess I was pretty mad at you and you followed me to apologize..." I shook my head, trying to restart with an uneasy laugh. I knew she must have been confused as my words sounded all jumbled together.

To my surprise though, she sprung up and gasped. Excitement filled her voice. She dove at me, making me fall to the ground with her on top. She took her hands and squeezed my face together until my cheeks hurt from the pressure of being squished together. "The first day we met!" She cried. "You remember! Oh, I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! The real Marco lives!"

I pushed her off of me as she laughed hysterically. "Star, cut it out!" She climbed off of me and let me breathe after probably collapsing my lungs. I got up, seeing colorful, bright spots invade my vision of the dark cellar. After blinking, however, I got rid of them.

"Tell me more! Tell me more!" She shook my shoulders violently, and her voice was as eager as a kid waiting for the ending to an intriguing bedtime story.

"Uh, there were monsters there. They tried to-" My mind connected the dots and I cut myself off. "Hey, wait. What happened to your wand?"

"Oh, actually... I don't have it anymore. Must have left it back on Earth. But it's not like I can do anything about it now. I hope my parents kept it safe... I miss them."

"At least you remember them." I muttered, making Star look up at me, though I stared at the ground, unable to meet her eyes.

"Why? Y-you don't remember your's?"

I shook my head faintly. "It's all just a haze... I don't really know what to believe anymore. It just kinda hurts to think about it... so I just don't."

"Well... you don't have to." She said. "Your memories will come back to you when they do. I mean, they are your memories. They're your's to have and keep and remember. It's not like you can permanently get rid of them."

"But Tom spelled me to forget-"

"Marco, no one can really get rid of your own memories. If you think about it, your memories are still there in the back of your mind. They just haven't come back to you yet."

"But how do I know if they're really my real memories? I always tell myself they aren't. I've always believed the memories Tom gave me."

"What?" I saw Star put on a queer smile and a raised eyebrow. "What memories?"

I laughed a bit before telling her everything I could recall from my memories with Tom, though just the thought of my 'brother' made my stomach tie itself in knots and made my heart beat against my chest.

"The times when we would go up to Earth and played together when we were little. We would both go around at night and scare the humans. He'd jump out from around the corner of the alley and they would scream." I chuckled bittersweetly as I remembered it. "He hated that I always made everyone run away just by walking out in front of them. I guess it was the wings that made the humans fear me the most."

Star laughed and I joined in, not being able to resist her own like it was contagious. I couldn't help it for some reason. Her hearty laughter and cute snort made me smile.

"Yeah, that's Tom. He can be pretty competitive... and a bit controlling."

"Yeah. I see what you mean." I told her.

"Marco?" She began.

"Yeah?"

"One of my best memories with you was at the Blood Moon Ball."

"The Blood Moon Ball?" I said. I knew exactly what she was talking about, yet probably not in the way she recalled it.

Tom and I went to the Blood Moon Ball together one time. It was a few months ago, actually. Since we didn't have dates, we went with each other. He told me it couldn't be that bad, considering there must have been at least one person without a date themselves.

And fortunately for me, there was. A girl with pale red, curly hair and faint green eyes, almost like my own. Her curly hair was made up in a messy bun and she wore a knee length, dark blue semi formal dress.

As for me, I wore my best tux. Unlike Tom's white and overly fancy suit, my tuxedo was black, with golden touches here and there. My epaulets and trim of the waste of my tuxedo were golden as was the front of my belt. Underneath, I wore a white buttoned down, long-sleeved shirt and a red tie.

As accessories to top it off, I wore a red Spanish style hat, a sombrero, along with a white, skull-like mask that was decorated with a curled mustache.

When it had come to the waltz music being played on an organ piano, she insisted that we dance, but I told her I couldn't so instead we stood by the bubbling punch cauldron and watched the other couples. She didn't seem to mind standing on the side to watch since she didn't really know how to dance either.

I don't remember much of what happened after that, but I never heard from that girl with the faint red hair again. I was so dumb that I didn't even ask her name.

Never, during the entire ball anyway, have I ever seen one girl there with vibrant blonde hair like Star's in the crowd. Either that or I just really didn't notice at all.

"Don't you remember? Even just a little?" Her voice had said to me, breaking through my thoughts.

"Uh, no. I don't. Sorry." I spoke softly.

"Get up."

"What? Why?" I heard movement and I figured she got up on her feet and was now standing.

"I'm going to help you remember."


	21. The Waltz

"You are gonna show me how to dance." She demanded, grabbing my wrist and pulling me to my feet.

"I can't dance." I insisted, yet she didn't back down.

"Really? Because you sure seemed to know what you were doing when you took my hand to waltz." She teased.

"Sorry. Must have been a different Marco." I shot back at her, making me laugh at my own mock.

"Just com'ere." She said, taking my hand and holding it in her's as she pulled me closer to her until we were just inches away from each other and the space between us was thin. "Now put your other hand here." She took her right hand now and lifted my left hand. She laid my hand down on her waist and kept it there.

"Now what?" I asked only to get her soft chuckle as an answer.

"I don't know. You taught me. Just... follow my lead, I guess." But the moment Star stepped forward, I felt nervousness invade my mind. I couldn't dance. I didn't know how. There was no way I was going to pick it up so easily either.

When she moved to the side now, I tried to follow along but only ended up stepping on her foot. It didn't seem to help in Star's case either, considering she was the one who was barefoot and I was the one wearing shoes.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry." I mumbled as a total wave of heat poured over me, humiliation.

"It would be a whole lot better if we had some light, don't you think?" Star said, making me wonder.

As I squinted to the best of my abilities, through the darkness, I found medieval torches that hung on the cellar's walls, one for each of the four walls that trapped us in. "Allow me." I announced as a smile took on my face.

The tingle of magic through my nerves struck down my arm and ignited into the palm of my hand. A burning green fire sat in my palm as it illuminated off both of our faces. Star's face lit up with a small smile as she was mesmerized by the flames that danced in my hand and lit up the dark cellar. Then, I threw it.

I threw it at the nearest torch and it lit it, bouncing off to the next torch and then the next, until all four torches had the same green light.

The first thing I noticed was her. Her face was soft and gentle. On her face, she wore the innocence of a child and her skin was fair and glowing radiantly with youth and flawlessness. Her hearts on her cheeks remained a light peach pink color.

Her blue eyes, when connected to my own, made me feel as if I was drowning in the most beautiful ocean. She didn't let go of her own stare on me and I didn't dare avert my eyes. To be honest, I lost feeling in both my legs and couldn't tell if I was still standing or not.

Her hair fell down beautifully and even in the tint of the green fire, kept its golden flair. Her wings were folded by her sides, almost completely taken over and diminished by darkness. Above her head too, no halo in sight. Wouldn't be long until she became a dark angel.

I hadn't realized I had held my breath in until I did. Not only that, I stopped blinking too, my eyes not wanting to blink and miss even a second of what was beheld in front of me or it might disappear, like the only thing this breathtaking could be seen in a dream.

"Wow." We said in unison, both with an astonished whisper.

I felt my cheeks reach a high temperature again and I looked down, a smile on my face. I chortled as she had not stopped copying what I was doing, not on purpose either. But when we both lifted our heads again, slowly and steadily, our eyes met again.

She stood still and I did the same, none of us not wanting to make the first move. We were only a couple of inches away from each other, yet I struggled between staying where I was or leaning in for a kiss.

Before I could choose, she saved me the trouble and took my hand once again. Her other hand laid back on my shoulder as I put my other hand to her waist.

When we began to continue to dance, I found I was shaking slightly, but not from the nervousness of getting the steps right. I felt my pulse quicken and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

Star was guiding me, how to dance, where to step and how to keep a spin when doing it. Step right. Cross step down. Step left. Cross step up. Step right. Repeat. It wasn't long before I knew the waltz and I felt like the teacher.

"I thought you said you couldn't dance." I told her.

"I can't. You've been doing it all by yourself." She laughed, though I didn't believe her.

"What? Really?"

"I told you. You do remember."

I smiled and took both her hands now and spun her. Her white flowy dress spun with her like she was the whisk and her dress was the batter, being twisted into a beautiful swirl. When I let go of one of her hands, I let her go outwards until she stopped, both her arms out as were mine. In the middle of us, our hands still linked us to each other, connected. I pulled her back in now, spinning her back into me until I dipped her downwards, her hair flowed smoothly along with the skirt of her dress.

I had no clue how I had picked up learning the waltz and the sudden moves I had managed to come up with was frightening to me. I knew how to dance.

Star looked up at me as I held up her weight the best I could. She was a bit too heavy, not to mention she probably didn't know how difficult it was for me to keep her up.

As I kept her there, staring into her awed face, I saw a flash of a new her. Her golden hair was nicely made up in a perfect bun with her side bangs curled, the only part of her hair that couldn't be held up in her hairdo. Her white dress was gone and in its place was a plump, knee high dress with different shades of pink and a touch of white. Not only that, it was decorated with hearts to complement the hearts that were already permanent on her face. The sight of her gave me overwhelming déjà vu.

My hand slipped in her own and I gasped as she fell to the ground with a hefty thud. I flinched at her fall, biting down hard on my teeth and shutting my eyes, tight and secure.

When I opened them, Star was sitting up and rubbing her head where it hurt.

"Sorry!" I lamely apologized. "I... I think I just remembered something."


	22. Louder and Louder

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, getting rid of the sweat that crept in quickly. This cellar had to be at the right temperature to cook a pizza, or so it felt like it. I guess the deeper you get in the Underworld, the higher the temperature gets. Though, it's not like it would bother the demons down here anyhow.

But for me, I felt my clothes cling to me and stick. As for my hair, it began to feel the heat and humidity. It got tougher to comb with my fingers. Every time I reached up to pull the strands of departed hair out of my eyes, it would clump together with sweat.

Star and I decided to save our energy and rest. I agreed, considering she did just have a nasty fall and bump to the head. Still, afterwards, we laughed and I recited the true Blood Moon Ball to her, as I had just remembered it. Our true memories together. When I knew her.

She laughed as I brought up that Tom had pushed me so hard to the ground, I swore I saw stars afterwards. I laughed too, making my heart feel fuzzy at the thought that my small, cheesy jokes brought joy to Star. Just one of the highlights of being trapped in this cellar was her.

It was weird though, kind of funny. How was she able to do it so easily? Make me feel comfortable and at ease, just us together in an isolated cellar, completely alone. It was like... well... if she smiled, I knew she was happy, which made me happy too. If she was sad, I'd be sad too.

It was like... if I heard her laugh, the whole world was brighter. It was like if she was right there next to me, the whole world made sense.

And if I ever heard her cry, then the world was crumbling and falling apart underneath my feet. Just the memory of the last time she had cried was enough to make my heart ache. I didn't want to ever make that real again. Ever.

I would do anything just to keep her this way - her happy and giggly self - even if it meant traveling to the Above and back to give her what she needed.

Don't think like that!

I quickly should my head as if to shake the thoughts out of my mind. I shouldn't think like that!

You don't know Star!

I didn't know Star. I combed my hair once again with my fingers before I felt a gentle and delicate hand lay itself onto my chest and my heart began to race. Star leaned into me, making herself comfortable on my side. Next came her head, nuzzling into me like a cat would do to its adored owner. She then tucked her legs into her and laid there, resting herself on me.

I went stiff, unsure of what to do exactly. I kept my arms up above me, hovering there as her voluntary actions to snuggle up on me made me hesitant on how to react. A millisecond later, I had made up my mind to relax my arms and embrace it.

Stop! This is wrong!

I sprung up, which startled Star as she sprung up too.

"Marco? You okay?" She said.

When I found myself to answer her, my voice had reached a lower, darker tone in it, one I didn't even know that I had. It was a demonic one, which frightened Star. "You've tricked me for the last time, dark angel."

"Marco-"

"That's Master Marco to you!" I demanded back at her with a snarled face.

"W-what?" She sounded disturbed and her voice was shaken. Her hand landed on my shoulder but I shook it away aggressively. "Your eyes..." She said but wasn't able to finish with a strong voice so a squeak came out instead. "Your eyes are red. You're getting worse."

"Leave me alone!" I snapped back in her face, my fangs bared and my eyes like daggers. Still, she was persistent and stubborn. She stood her ground and didn't back down.

The voice that had invaded my head had began to grow in fury and madness as it growled and filled my head with nothing but the noise of its words.

"Don't let her fool you! She's a liar, a fake! Just like Tom!"

The words that the voice had left in my head, I had recited out loud as if they were true. "You're a liar and a fake! Just like Tom!"

"Marco, stop! Are you even listening to yourself?" Her voice soon was drowned out by the sound of that voice again until I couldn't hear her anymore. Her lips moved when she talked, yet I couldn't make them out. The voice that seemed to be just in my head had now echoed through the cellar, attacking me from the outside world.

"DON'T LET HER GET TO YOU! SHE IS THE ENEMY! SHE IS TRYING TO PULL YOU IN!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME, STAR!"

I tried to scream and shout and wail over the sound of the deafening voice but it only seemed to get worse and more intense. I held my head as a migraine had taken over and thumped and throbbed against the inside of my skull.

Star's hands had grabbed hold of me so tight. She shook me slightly as if she was waking me up from a terrible dream. Even as she did so, I wished it was just a dream too.

"YOU MEAN NOTHING TO HER! SHE IS MANIPULATING YOU!"

"I SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU! YOU'RE USING ME! THIS IS ALL FAKE!"

"SHE BRAINWASHED YOU! SHE TRIED TO CONTROL YOU! YOU'RE A DEMON, NOT A HUMAN!"

"YOU THINK I'LL FALL FOR YOUR DUMB GAMES? I'M A DEMON, NOT A HUMAN!"

"SHE NEVER LOVED YOU AND NEVER WILL!"

"STOP IT! GO AWAY!"

My anger flared until it skyrocketed and all the words that had been shouted came back to me rang through my head and I pushed her. I pushed her off of me as if her comfort was no comfort at all. She let go of my shoulders and fell backwards, her arms catching and breaking her fall.

For a second or two, she laid there, her elbows supporting her to stay up as she just stared at me with wide bold eyes.

My breath came out in heavy exhales as I tried to catch it. There was not even space in my lungs for me to get in enough of the air that I needed to sustain myself so I let it in and out quickly. She watched me hyperventilate before sitting up and approaching me with caution.

She was hesitant for a moment. Then, she pulled me closer in her, throwing her arms around me and hugging me into her. Despite the fact that I didn't hug her back, I was too focused on attempting to get my heart rate to slow down. Instead, I decided to watch the green flames of the torches flicker and sway back and forth to relax myself.

The silence had soon proven to stay as my migraine didn't want to stay without a reason. Unexpectedly, breaking the quiet, Star whispered with a calming tone. "I'm sorry, Marco. I'm so sorry you had to get caught up in this mess. You don't deserve this."

Oh, great. I could hear it coming out. The moment her sobs came out from her faint voice, I felt my throat swell up like I was going to do the same. I felt my eyes soften and my lip quivered, unable to handle the sound of her crying.

I knew she was holding a lot of it back by the way she shook as she hugged me and her breathing was unsteady.

"Star..." My throat felt like it was being clogged by the tears that were too close for comfort. Still, I fought against them to speak. "Don't cry. You're gonna make me cry too." I chortled through my tears and at last, I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her back, not for her sake.

But for my own.

Still, I cried anyway. I cried, holding her in my arms as she did the same. We didn't even dare let go of each other. We hugged, knowing we were okay, but also not.


	23. The Plan

Hunger. Thirst. Dehydration. Exhaustion. Discomfort.

If Tom didn't come back to kill me in time, these things would beat him to it.

I don't know how long it's been since I've been down here but I could only guess it had to be nighttime now. With silence among Star and I, the demons howled from above us. Their obnoxious noise that could be heard from the ceiling's trap door kept me up.

Star and I laid back down on the hard and rough ground once more, our hands together, our fingers intertwined. She was back on top of me yet this time I let her stay.

Still, as my hunger distracted me from sleep, I wondered if Tom was happy with himself. Somewhere in the Underworld, I figured, he was sound asleep in his own comfortable bed, not having to worry about starving to death or slowly being baked with no way out. It wasn't fair.

Just when I thought he took away everything I had, my old memories and my old yet perfect life, he threw me down a filthy cellar just to leave me waiting for when he would come back only to kill me. But there was one thing that he couldn't take away from me, one thing that he couldn't hide from me, even if he tried.

I closed my hand tighter around her own. Her grasp was getting weak and loose as I knew she was slowly falling asleep, steadily and easily. I wished I could do the same. She looked so comfortable, using my chest as her pillow. As she slept, I desperately thought for some way, any way, to escape. Not only that, I wanted to escape with her, runaway with her. And by the time Tom would come for us, we would be long gone. We would be free from his torture.

We could start a new life together. Maybe we could even become humans, live on Earth like we used to, starting right where we left off. Just the two of us. I just wanted things to be right again. The way it used to be.

What did he want with us anyway? What did we really ever do to him?

I guess he really thought he could kill me and have Star all for himself. Wait a minute. That was it! It went off like a light bulb in my head. I had an idea. The more I thought about it, the more I found it to work. The only problem... I wouldn't be saving myself. I'd be saving Star. It was the only way. I wouldn't make it out with her but at least she would be alright. That's all I needed too with the more I thought about it.

Even if it meant I wouldn't be. Even if I meant that I would most likely be dead, truly dead, like the human that I was. A human with demon wings, no immortality. But as she nuzzled more into me I knew it was the right decision. I had to do this but it wouldn't work unless she saved herself too.

Besides, I loved her. And if I really, deeply cared about her, I needed to let her go and be free. If Tom couldn't learn that lesson then maybe it had to be me.

With my stare on the ceiling I began to close my eyes and rest. I had a plan but for now I was just as exhausted as Star was. We both needed to sleep, especially me. But the more anxious I grew about my plan, the more sleep seemed like the furthest thing from my mind.

What if the plan didn't work? Still, I'd be dead either way. But what about Star? Would she be okay? She had to be. Tom wouldn't dare hurt her. He did love her after all.

It had to work.

It was going to work.


	24. Angel vs Demon

"What?" She tittered with a queer face.

"C'mon. You have to trust me on this. I've been thinking it over and over and it might actually work."

"But - I can't!"

"No, you can! You have to. You're never going to get out of here if you don't." I urged.

"But what about you?" To that question, I didn't know. I dropped my gaze from her eyes to think but I only shook my head. "No." She flatly insisted. "I don't want to leave you here. What if Tom…" Her voice trailed off but I knew what she was going to say.

"I don't care what happens. As long as you're safe." I mumbled, trying to be reassuring.

"Still, he would never believe it. It wouldn't work."

"No, it could. Look, you said that Tom would only let you out unless you accepted to love him again, right?" I claimed.

"Yeah…" She dropped her eyes toward the ground as I continued.

"Right. So you just have to make him believe you are."

"But do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds? There's no way he'll believe it."

"Exactly. Tell him I was attacking you, like the dangerous demon he thinks I am. He will see how scared you are of me that he'll have to save you from me."

"Attacked me?" She said.

"Well, yeah. I, uh, have to make it look real so…" I ignited a green fire with my right hand and Star's face illuminated off of it as I saw her try to think about it. Her mouth hung halfway open and she dropped her eyes from me again before looking back up and nodding slowly. As she got up, so did I. I shook my head. This had to be the most idiotic plan I've ever had, yet it still had to work.

Star stood closely by one of the cellar's walls, waiting. She closed her eyes tight, bracing herself for the impact.

A fire as vivid green as ever sat in the palm of my hand eagerly. I narrowed my eyes and turned to Star, my arm raised up high like I was pitching a baseball.

Star clenched herself, her hands forming into fists by her sides.

My fire went out and my hand fell back to my side. Star opened her eyes, a bit baffled. "Marco, what's-"

"I can't. I can't do it." I croaked.

"What? Why not?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

Her snicker made me look her way as I also saw a half smile plastered on her face. "Weak."

"What?"

"I said you're weak!" She gloated louder for me to hear. My blood burned throughout my body now as my fists were clenched in anger.

"Star, stop." I warned her through gritted teeth.

"What's the matter? Can't do it? You're just as pathetic as I remember you. So weak and soft!" She went on, folding her arms.

"Star, I said stop!" I shouted, but she didn't. My body was outlining itself in its magic now, green and smoldering.

"You're not a demon, Marco, and you never will be!" She cried out.

I screamed out loud, as I heard Tom's words being mimicked through Star. "You are not a demon and you never will be!"

Both of my hands had went out in front of me, my fire burning out and blasting at its target. Only after that had I realized what I've done. Star hit the wall with such a strong force that I could have sworn I felt the cellar vibrate in the second that it all happened.

Her wings' feathers fell off simultaneously at the direct hit and her head whiplashed on the brick wall behind her. She wasn't able to catch herself so instead she dropped facedown on the ground like a puppeteer letting go of the strings to its puppet.

My heart yelped when she fell, my mind racing. It's all my fault. I hurt Star. It's all my fault!

"Star!" I ran over to her side, feeling my heart thumping so loud in my chest that it made my legs feel like they would give out under me any second. I was too shaky and frantic and picked her up, looking at her. Her eyes were closed and her mouth hung open.

Where her dress had once been, the blast had burned through it, hitting her directly in the stomach. Her marks were red and irritated. With one hefty arm, I was supporting her head as the other didn't know what to do, just hovering shakily above her wounds. As if that wasn't enough, her left wing, battered from the impact, was now split at the top.

I did this. I did this! It's all my fault!

Then, I saw her, the way I discovered her that night. With her eyes shut and her mouth hung open, drenched from the river from where I had pulled her out of. I had left my sweater around her as if it would bring her some comfort and yet I couldn't bring myself to stop holding her in my arms, let alone turn away from her gentle, resting face.

"Star! Star! C'mon, wake up! I'm sorry…"

I blinked away the memory, the sight of her in the past to the present. My eyes were teary as I couldn't even say her name without my throat closing up. "Star? C'mon, wake up! I can't lose you again! C'mon, I'm sorry! This was so stupid!"

After a frightening moment of waiting and watching her face for even the slightest of movement, my heart stopped. She hadn't moved, not even a single eye flutter or sign of her breathing.

"Star… no! Nonono, c'mon! Say something!" I yelled, the tears now leaving my eyes and dripping down my face as I held her head into me, closer. I took my hand, unsteady and trembling, and held her soft face, caressing her cheek with my thumb.

I closed my eyes, the tears making my vision blurry. That's when I heard her faint mumble as she tried to pronounce my name but her voice was raspy and weak. "M... Mar... co?"

"Star!"

Star returned my relieved and grateful greeting with a feeble half smile and a flutter of her eyes. "Nice shot." She teased.


	25. Never Forget

I remember the feeling. It was like I was dying.

The bones in my back, cracking and breaking voluntarily, transforming. It tore through my skin, just below my shoulders. They grew out as I bled out, wings stretching out and becoming bigger and wider.

All I could do was scream from pain and clutch onto the nearby tree's trunk as everything grew outwards - wings, horns, fangs, and even my fingernails.

It was all painful, unimaginable and excruciating pain. It never went away. With my nails sharpened out and blackened to their tip, I left scratches on the bark of the tree, my body becoming more weak as I drooped closer and closer to the ground, my pants all muddy from the mud of the forest dirt and river.

Above me, through the trees' crooked branches was that red illuminant moon that was all too familiar. It seemed to only get more visible as my transformation became more and more.

Finally, I had dropped down on my hands and knees with my head bowed, waiting for it all to be over. The overwhelming pain struck me so suddenly I couldn't help but cry, wishing it didn't hurt so bad as it did.

That's when I realized he was still there, watching it all. From behind me, his voice came in slowly and faintly. He stepped forward with hesitation and the sticks and leaves crunched underneath him. "Marco? Are you... okay?"

I couldn't answer. I was too distracted staring down at my hands in shock. The tips of my fingers were faded to black with sharp claws yet my hands still trembled unsteadily.

"Marco?" His voice got quieter as if my unresponsive behavior was frightening him.

I couldn't answer still. The world around me was reaching a deadly hot temperature and sweat began to creep onto my face. The heat of the pain and overwhelming feeling took over my stomach and made my head spin with hazy vision. Before I knew it, it rose up and I covered my mouth, hoping it wouldn't come.

I got up quickly, despite my legs shaking and wavering underneath me. I got up, hiding behind a tree and crouching over when it all come up. I felt my body becoming hotter by the second and when I threw up, my body shook as if I had a fever. The wings I carried behind me were too heavy for me to even stand so instead I fell back on my knees in the mud of the forest, trying to catch my breath.

"What..." I tried to say but I still didn't give my lungs time to steady themselves. I tried again this time, powering through my words though they were coming out forced. "What is happening to me?"

Tom took me off the ground, panicking as he did. "Oh, man. This isn't good." He said with no calmness in his voice. He took my arm and hung it over his shoulder to support me. "We need to go. Now."

In a flash of flames, he transported us to the Underworld, a place where the demons live, a place I thought I'd never have to see again. I fell forward, my arm drooping off of him as I was losing my grip. As I hit the rock ground with a thud, Tom winced. I wasn't able to stop myself and the pain that slashed through me when I did made me yelp out with a groan.

Tom came to my side and sat me up against a wall but every move I made made the wings behind me more intensely painful. My chest rose in and out rapidly as I couldn't keep my breathing at a normal rate. My head dropped down, my skull feeling like it was filled with metal. "You - you have to go back." I told him.

He looked at me like a deer in the headlights. "What? Why?"

My temper had flared and I grabbed his shirt collar, tugging him into me. A demon voice came out instead of my own as I spoke, startling Tom. "You have to go back!" I shouted in a long octave.

Tom pulled away from me as I let go of my shirt, seeing the terror in all three of his eyes. "No. I'm sorry. I can't." His sympathetic voice muttered. "Star's - gone! It's too late."

I still don't know why I said it, but I did. I lifted my head and my eyes were stern. "Tom?" He turned back to meet my face and was surprised when I was calm and composed. "Please... I don't want to remember this."

"Marco... what are you saying?"

"You can erase minds, right?" The question came out dry and tasteless.

"No." He said at last. "I-I can't do that to you."

"Please!" I wailed. "Take them all away! I don't want to remember any of it!" I felt tears coming down my face as Tom turned his back on me, unable to watch. "Please?" It came out as a desperate whisper.

He turned back around, his face full of grief. He nodded slowly.

"Okay." He brought his hand up to my eyes, fire igniting in the palm of it, orange and yellow and a blend of red. Soon, the swirls began to come together, making my mind tired and blank. The first thing I forgot was that night, the most recent of my memories. Next, it was her.

Memories disappeared from my brain just as they never even existed at all. But as they did, my heart ached, watching every one of the memories, from most recent to the far ones. I began to feel scared. I was watching the memories, each and every one, right before they left me.

"Nononono!" I cried out to myself in my head, the most precious of our memories leaving me. They flashed through me before vanishing. I tried to mentally reach out and hang onto them, one after the other, like photographs, trying to catch them frantically before they were lost to the wind, forgotten forever.

My most precious memories, all of them. Gone. All down to the last memory of her, the first day we ever met. It was the most precious of them all. Seeing it go so easily, I felt the tears well up more, shattering my heart.

"Thanks for showing me around, Safe Kid!" She had boomed in my ears while skipping joyously in front of me like a little kid would. In her hand, she had been chewing on her wand also like a little kid would, out of habit.

"Goodbye, Star..."

Even as I look back on it now, I don't know why I asked him to do it. I was so stupid, so idiotic. Why would I ever want to forget about the best moments of my entire life? Why? All for what? Just so I didn't have to deal with the pain of remembering her? The pain of remembering what I did?

I rather live with the pain of remembering than the pain of forgetting.

What an idiot I was to want to forget.


	26. Forgive Me

I replayed it all in my mind as I had my wings wrapped around me like a cocoon, hiding in shame. My head was down and I sat against the wall, my legs tucked into my chest and my arms hugging them.

"Marco," her voice said, hurt and raspy. I could hear her scooting closer to me and the more she did, the more my wings wrapped tighter around me as if the darkness could hide me. "Look at me. I'm fine, okay?"

"No!" I growled. I lifted my head so suddenly to look at her with stern eyes that she flinched back for a moment. "It's not fine, Star! I hurt you! I could've..." My voice became overcome with an overwhelming choking silence. The tears were coming now as I looked at her hold her stomach in pain, the deep red burns still new and fresh. I saw the way her eyelids flickered as if she was trying to focus her vision. Not only that, her head swayed as if she was woozy, probably from the impact of hitting the wall. On the ground, her blackened wings laid by her legs and rested down on the ground. One of them was chipped.

I dropped my head again, unable to watch. I swallowed down my tears hard and sniffled. I knew she could tell I was about to cry by the way she repeated my name, more sympathetic and soft this time. Every time she moved, however, I heard her struggle with the pain of her wounds by the way she grunted and groaned. By the time she had made it towards me, she was out of breath, trying to catch up with it.

"Marco... c'mon."

The cellar went quiet for a second or two before she intruded another time. My wings were lifted and she poked her head through, looking up at me.

"Marrrcoooo?" She sang with a silly attitude. It was hard for me not to smile at the way she reminded me of a child, as if she was playing hide and seek. I looked at her and she smiled back, knowing I was doing the same. "Hey, there you are." She chuckled, tucking herself into my wings with me.

I got more comfortable up against the wall now, sitting up straighter as she did the same while trying to wrestle through her wound's pain simultaneously. When she doubled over from the gut-wrenching pain and clutched her stomach, I held her up. "Star, I-I'm so-"

"Don't be." She interjected, regaining her strength and careful to making any more sudden moves that would hurt her. "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have pushed you too far. I was just... desperate to get out of here."

"Yeah. I know how you feel." I told her as she rested her head on my shoulder. I pulled her closer into me, holding her with my arm. I never wanted to let her go. I wish it didn't have to be this way. It just wasn't fair. But if I can't save both of us, at least I could sleep easier at night knowing she was fine, even if it meant I was the one left to suffer.

At least it would bring my heart and head tranquility to know she was okay. Besides, I was doing this all for her. Star deserved better than this. She was the one worth saving.

As for me, I was nothing. I was just the lifeless soul, living someone else's sick and twisted reality of a fake life. Tom had taken me and my whole life, throwing it away without a care about my own needs or wants. He had chewed me up and spit me out, leaving me to deal with myself. I was nothing. I was nothing but a mistake that should have been discarded long ago. I was the problem that should have been dealt with and now I am just left to rot in my own mind and body. Maybe it was better for me to stay in the cellar and suffer as another one's freedom and happiness soothed me.

I pushed the negative thoughts away, shaking my head. I failed to understand why I had become so consumed and corrupted. What had gone so wrong to bring me down to nothingness? Did I even have anything to begin with? Did I even have a life before Tom had disturbed it all?

If I was nothing, then why did Star care about me? Why did she hold onto me so tightly the way she did, even tighter than her other hand that was clenched around her stomach? Why did Star, a girl with everything to lose, care about me, a broken minded kid with nothing to lose? She deserved better than me. I was doomed for chaos and darkness. I was cursed, a demon. She was given hope and light. She was blessed, an angel.

It was because of my wicked sin that she was given a gift in the Above. She was the one who was not meant to suffer because of my own demonic act. She was given her life back in the Above as I was given a new life in the Underworld.

After a while of the silence filling the cellar, Star spoke out in a whisper once again. Her voice was soft and a low volume. "Marco?" She said.

I turned to her as she took an unstable breath in before saying what she said next. "When I woke up in the Above... I was scared. I had no idea where you were." Star dropped her stare and looked at the ground now as she went on. "It was unbearable without you there." She picked up her head and gazed up at my eyes now as I did too. They glistened with hope and happiness as she smiled briefly.

"But then Tom came. He said he knew where you were and that you needed help... 'remembering'. He said I was the only one who could do it... so I came. I mean, how could I not? To hear you were still - I-I had to come!" I heard her voice reach a shaky edge to it as her eyes began to water up with tears. "And just the sight of your face..." She breathed in another shaky breath before looking up at me again, this time her eyes were glossy with tears. "Marco I missed you so bad, your face was all I needed to see to make it better."

I felt something inside of me cry out bittersweetly at her words. My heart sang as my eyes welled. "Star..." My voice got caught in my throat but I fought it to speak more. "Forgetting you was the most dumbest and most idiotic thing I could have ever done. I'm sorry. I-I had no idea how painful it would be to forget you. I never wanted to forget you, even if you were gone... I still had the memories of us together."

I dropped my head and shook it in shame. "But I guess it wasn't good enough for me. I just wanted you to be there with me. And I'm not gonna lie... I used to lay awake at night, wishing it could be like that forever. I wished I could just pause time so you could never leave me. I worried about the day when you would too... the day when you would pack up and go back to Mewni and become Queen."

"Marco... I... I wished that too! Every night, I wished I could stay on Earth with you and forget about Mewni. You made me forget about my worries of being Queen and gave me a life where I felt free to decide who I wanted to be. I never wanted it to end."

Immediately I pulled her into me and wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight. In response, Star yelped out and I let go suddenly, remembering her burns. "Sorry, sorry!" I apologized frantically.

Star clenched her stomach and took a deep breath in before letting it out shakily. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm fine." Then, she asked me. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I chortled.


	27. The Three Word Phrase

Every white feather that she sheds, it is replaced with a black one. Every shot of pain she feels, her angelic power to not feel it is lost. Though she knows it, she refuses to accept it.

Star was transforming and transcending. I could see the way the Underworld took its toll on her as it took her white, wholesome wings and gave them a new, darker meaning.

She needed to get back to the Above before it was too late. Her wings were black, yet not quite. Her left wing still hung onto its remaining light. Once her transformation is complete, she will not be able to go back.

With a little help from her wings to take her up, she held her stomach wound and climbed the stairs. She went up the steps to the trap door, slowly but surely, and began banging hard on it, making the lock rattle from the outside as the demons also made their own noise.

When she called out, she tried to make her voice as panicked and fear-stricken as possible. "Tom! Help! Please! Tom!"

I tried to focus as she did so, using the time I had to conjure up some of my demonic anger. As strange as it was, thinking about Tom seemed to help trigger my fury and flames that ignited in my hands. When he would come to Star's racket, I needed to be ready too.

It took a moment or two but soon the latch was unlocked and the trap door swung open swiftly. And then there he was. Horns and all three eyes. His fanged grin had taken over his face as he straightened out his tuxedo jacket. When he noticed Star, looking down upon him, his smile was wiped off and he quickly came to her aid.

"Star -" He said, his voice in a low volume and serious tone. When Tom tried to help her up, she doubled over from the pangs and fell back to her knees. When she had some of her strength back, she grabbed him by his collar, his three eyes widened in shock. I could see the way she faked a dramatically unsteady breath and her eyes glistened with forged panic and desperation.

"Tom, please! Marco - h-he attacked me! I'm sorry! I-I should've listened to you! You were right -" All her words came out at once, as if tumbling over the other.

To this, Tom held her face with one hand and hushed her with a sympathetic voice. He was buying Star's act. "Hey, woah. Star, calm down."

Then, he turned to me as if to notice me for the first time. The look on his face said it all. He was astonished yet also aggravated. An uneasy grin had crept onto his face as he held the anger through gritted teeth. He stood up, the soles of his shoes spontaneously lighting on fire and lifting him off of the steps of the trap door and onto the cellar's floor.

Just the sight of his face was enough to skyrocket my own fury and my hands burned brighter with the color of green.

"How do you do it?" He began, his volume growing a bit louder with every word he spoke. "How, against all odds, do you still stay to bug me? You're the most stubborn person I've ever met, y'know?" He spat in my face, though he did not yell, he did keep his voice at a projected mumble.

Tom chuckled and I watched as his hands caught fire, combusting into furious, orange flames. His eyes were narrowed and so were my own, both of our teeth bared and our fists clenched with fire.

Before I even had a chance to think, his hands went up and a powerful blast of fire had come at me, making me hit the ground brutally.

"Tom!" Star declared, yet her voice was too frail to yell and she clenched up, her stomach too much for her to bear. When she climbed down a few of the steps, she would stumble without grace.

He had turned swiftly around at the sound of her voice, his attention away from me now. His flames had went out and his soft side for Star had begun to take over. He went back to her side once again as my vision began to haze and blur. When I tried to get up, I only made it worse and my head felt heavy.

After a moment or two of composing myself, however, I was able to get my vision to sustain itself and everything that once was tripled was now singular, the way it should be. My eardrums, that were once disrupted and disturbed, had subsided and sounds became more distinct and less murmured.

What happened next, I wish I hadn't turned my head. Star, with her eyes as a dull glimmer, gazed up at Tom. His eyes were bulging, not expecting Star's next move. She leaned in closer and closed her eyes, her lips a half an inch away from his own.

I dropped my stare as I couldn't watch it myself, the claws of my hands dug into my palms until it hurt. I clenched my teeth together hard as if they would chip and break from the anger I tried to conserve inside myself. When I looked back, I found their lips connected. Tom had closed his eyes, embracing Star's kiss by kissing her back.

The more he had pushed himself on her, the more I saw Star want to back away desperately, though she braved herself and held the kiss. He kept her close to him, holding her face and every time he leaned back to breathe, he would lean back in to seal another kiss. After the third time, Star leaned away completely just as Tom did too.

Star tried to catch her breath just as she clenched her stomach again in another faked pain. "Tom, please. I know you don't mean to hurt me like this. Get me out of here, please."

After a millisecond of thought, Tom turned to me and then back at her with a faceful of sternness and nodded. Together, Star and Tom rose up and stood, making their way out of the cellar and up the stairs, Star struggling to maintain herself along the way.

I dropped my head, knowing it was going to be the last time I saw her, but didn't want to think much more about it. The sound of their footsteps going up the steps stopped when a voice broke out.

"Wait." It was Star's voice, silent but still there, as if she knew what she was doing with wrong, not part of the plan. All I could do was gaze upon her as she did the same back to me. I shook my head slightly, hoping she wouldn't ruin her chance for freedom. Unfortunately, that wish was shattered when her mouth opened once more. "Let him go too."

Tom looked shell-shocked to say the least. He had peered over his shoulder, just a few more steps away from the door and took more steps backwards to come back into the cellar. He wouldn't stop pointing daggers in my direction, chuckling hysterically as if he couldn't believe what Star had just demanded. "What?" He said.

I stared into Star's hopeful eyes, knowing she couldn't leave me here, even if she tried. I couldn't do anything more than mouth the word "no" to her while shaking my head, over and over.

Star hugged herself, dropping her eyes away from my eyes and looking at the ground. I could tell it took her a lot of strength to talk back to Tom. I couldn't blame her. "I said let him go. He doesn't deserve to be trapped down here."

"Star, what are you doing?" I mumbled.

"Oh, I get it now." Tom chortled, his face transforming from complete confusion to understanding. "This is all just a trick! You thought you could trick me into helping you escape, but my little angel couldn't play her cards right." Just as he casually strode farther down the steps towards Star, he stopped and kneeled, as if to mock her as he lifted her chin with his hand to look at her. Star retaliated with a disgusted face and a sassy head turn to get away from him. He got up to trudge back out of the cellar while talking over his shoulder. "Well, then I guess you have a choice here. Come with me and I'll give you everything you could ever ask for..."

With that, he gave me a side glare and a raised eyebrow as if to show his hatred for me. "Or stay here with him until you can't take it anymore and will be begging to be let out. Just know, if you come with me, I'll let you have everything you want." He turned back to face her once more, his voice reaching a less confidently wicked tone and more of a sympathetic one. "All I want is for you to be happy, Star."

Star looked at me for the longest time, then her eyes had hardened and glared at the demon with three eyes in front of her. Tom had his hand out, as if he was expecting her to take it and follow him out. "It would never be enough." She said simply.

Tom seemed to be taken off guard. His hand fell back to his side and his eyebrows were raised. "What do you-?"

"You can spoil me all you want but it wouldn't be enough. It would never be enough. I choose Marco. He makes me happier than you could ever make me."

Before I knew it, a smile had crept onto my face. My heart burst out in joy and I couldn't bring myself from not tearing up. Star had climbed back down into the cellar and ran to me, her weight almost pushing me down to the ground completely and suddenly. She wrapped her arms around me tightly, her head resting on my shoulder.

I couldn't resist and hugged her back, never wanting it to end, never wanting to let her go. With her finally close again, I ran my fingers through her long, beautifully tangled hair and felt her warmth. This was all I needed to keep me sane. If I was going to die down here, at least I was going to die with her.

When she released the hug, she gazed up at me. That's when I noticed her teary eyes, matching my own that had began to water up as well. Before her tears could fall, I took my gentle hands and held her face, using my thumbs to dry her eyes. She smiled fully as I smiled back to her.

That's when she said the three letter phrase. It rang through me as loud as a church bell though her voice was a silent whisper. "I love you, Marco."

It was his laugh that disrupted my eardrums as he shook his head and spoke again. "That's a shame, really, because he isn't any better than I am, y'know. He's been playing you this whole time, Starship. He may act like he loves you, but he doesn't." Tom's persistent hand landed on Star's shoulder, trying to get her to rethink her decision.

"No, he would never do that, Tom. You don't know Marco like I do." Star exhorted.

"That's where you're wrong again, hun. I'm sorry to say it, but I'm telling the truth. He's been faking it from the start. Your kiss wasn't real! He was just using you to get back at me!" As he talked, he shrugged as if what he was saying was nothing but subtle and casual.

Star closed her eyes and then opened them, as if to think before asking me. "Marco... is it... true?"

I shook my head, my mouth hung open with the words I couldn't find to explain. When I found the words, all I could say were careful sentences. "What? No, of course not! I really do - I mean, yeah. In the beginning, it wasn't... real, but if you just let me explain-" I held my hands out as if to surrender and try to reason, but Star turned her back on me, unable to hear more.

"No, stop! I can't believe you, Marco! I trusted you! But you're just as bad as Tom is!" She snarled back. I stepped back from her sudden change of heart, as if she had been corrupted by an evil, deep, dark spell.

"Star..." I murmured. She started to walk off now, following Tom as if there was nothing left to say.

"You really are a demon." She said under her breath so quietly that I could have missed it at first.

"Star, get back here! You know that's not how it is! Don't act like this!" Every plead I yelled out, Star only got farther away. She got closer and closer to Tom, finally being close enough to take his hand and walk out of the cellar with him.

I had my hand out too, yet Star chose Tom's hand. She never even turned around to face me. She just... left.

Why didn't I say it? Why didn't I say it when I had the chance? I was so stupid! Why didn't I let her know?

I paced the cellar for another moment in aggravation before my fists finally balled themselves up from fury and I pounded them aggressively and hard up against the cellar wall, failing to understand why I never said it.

Why didn't I just say I loved her back?


	28. Meeting the Parents

How many days have gone by, I could only guess.

During moments of the unbearable silence, I would scream at the nonexistent people beyond the cellar, begging for them to let me out. When the demons in the cages from above laughed at me, I would laugh too. I didn't know why but laughing with them made me feel at peace in not knowing I was completely alone. Then, I would scream and shout at them, furious and out of breath.

After I had burned my lungs and my fury was gone, I would get bored and go about the cellar. I began to collect pebbles, some bigger than others and some smaller. Not only that, I would collect Star's blackened feathers too, not knowing what I was doing with them other than just collecting them.

And when I was hungry, I starved, wondering if anything in the cellar with me was even edible. I thought about the mouthwatering foods that I could have been eating but couldn't. I felt nauseas every second.

And when heat and dehydration was getting the best of me, I thought about diving into a cool, refreshing ocean while it was also raining, pouring down.

And after all of it, exhaustion was the last to come. I would curl up into my wings, cocooning myself and trying to close my eyes, though even sleep was excruciating. I was so tired yet I would stay awake for hours until I cried and my head throbbed and ached.

But now the heat suffocated me. My tongue and lips were dry and my throat was sore. Most of the nights I remained locked up and alone, I tossed and turned, though it was getting much harder to find the energy to even move. I would become exhausted after switching sides.

It had been hard for me to even fall asleep. But on my last night, I had finally found tranquility and was able to close my tired eyes for once more. The more I slipped out of consciousness, the more I knew I wasn't going to even come back. There was no tomorrow for me. Tonight, I would take my last breath.

Before I had left, something had happened, although I couldn't recall if it was reality or just a dream.

There was a blinding light that had entered the cellar. Along with it, someone had come from the light. I squinted my eyes to the best of my abilities to try to see as a woman's feet came closer, kneeling down next to me in a slow and careful manner.

"St-Star…?" I said, my voice no much louder than a forced whisper.

As she spoke, her voice rose with panic, though it began to seem to get more farther away as I could not keep my eyes open any longer. As my eyelids got heavier and heavier, she spoke louder as if to attempt her best to get me to hear her.

"M-Marco? What are you - how did you-?" Even as she mumbled, I could make out the distinct accent she had. "Oh, dear. You don't look so good. C'mon. Stay with me!"

I was so exhausted, I couldn't even move my mouth to form words to talk, so I didn't. I couldn't even care about who the woman was or what she was saying. All I focused on was keeping my breathing at a normal rate for just a little bit longer, just a few more seconds.

As she had picked me up slowly and rose up, we entered the blinding light from which she had come. The rest of the noises and voices after that were a haze and I couldn't remember much of anything else that happened afterwards.

The feeling of a cool, wet and refreshing cloth being wiped on my forehead had woken me up and my eyes blinked multiple times to adjust to the light of the sun and the more I did so, the more my blurry vision had fixed itself and brought things into focus.

Around me were all sorts of eye-catching, valuable items, even the bed I was laying in was more gigantic than me. Still, it was the most luxury I've had in so long that I wanted to sleep forever.

The sun seeped in through the windows that, just like the bed, seemed to be larger than life. I felt like I was in a medieval style castle, almost like Tom's castle except with less tortured demonic screaming and no worry about the monster that was actually under the bed.

My breath came out raspy and my throat still felt irritated. The woman in front of me was the same woman who had taken me out of the cellar. I remembered her accent well. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought I lost you." Her relieved voice sighed. I stared up at her, taking in her appearance. She had sky blue eyes, just like Star. She was taller too, not to mention her big, full head of pale blue hair that was held up in two separate buns with a golden crown and shining white pearls.

My voice came out in a sharp exhale, a squeaky whisper. "Wa… ter…"

She seemed to understand my demand as she helped me sit up in bed with my weak and brittle muscles and brought the glass of water from the side table to me. I was so fatigue that I couldn't even hold the glass, it's heavy weight too much for me. Even still, as she had helped, I gulped it down, making her eyebrows go up in astonishment. "What happened to you, Marco? Where have you been?"

I took a good, long look at the woman in front of me as an old man by her side with a lengthy, golden blonde beard had interrupted her interrogation. "My dear, be gentle. He just woke up."

My throat had begun to clear up and finally the soreness had gone too. "How… do you know… my name?" I asked, taking sharp breaths in between my words.

The woman shared a worried glance with the short, bearded man then looked back at me. "You mean… you really don't remember?"

I let out a weak chortle. "Don't take it personally. I can't remember anything lately."

She let out a deep inhale before letting it out. "Have you… by any chance seen Star?"

My heart stopped and my stomach began to feel nauseous. "S-Star?" I echoed. "You know her?"

The woman and man shared a shocked expression and stared at me with bold eyes in unison. "Marco…" The woman said in a low volume. "We're her parents."

I dropped my eyes and thought. After a moment, I connected with their worrisome eyes again and grinned. "I know where she is." Now the woman and man smiled too, their faces exchanging relieved and grateful expressions.

Despite the fact I was starving, I couldn't bring myself to eat. Instead, I watched the steam rise from the boiling hot soup. I wiped away the rest of my wet tears and let out a sniffle. I was still in the position I was for the past hour and I could see Tom staring back at me from beyond the soup's steam.

I had left the bowl untouched from the moment Tom had given it to me and after having nothing to say, he finally spoke, breaking the utter silence. "You should eat."

"I'm not hungry." I lied quickly and turned away from him, resting my head on my knees.

"Star," He said sternly but I didn't give him time to finish.

"What did he do to you to deserve this?" I interjected.

"What?" Tom smirked as he rose an eyebrow.

"Marco was the most kindest, most caring person I've ever known! He has never done anything wrong to you or to anyone else!" Before I knew it, I had exploded into anger and soon Tom was shouting too.

"I don't think you get it, Star! Marco is not like that at all! He's terrorized and hurt his own kind just to prove he's a demon! He has killed to prove it!"

"And who did that, Tom? Him… or you?"

Tom opened his mouth to fire back but then closed it and his face went from outraged to a break in realization. He closed his eyes and put his face in his hands as if to hide his shame. After a quiet sigh and a lengthy silence, he finally surrendered. "I-I'm sorry. You're right… It is all my fault, I know that and I know it's wrong but… I can't help it. I-I love you, Starship. And everything I've done is for you."

He took my hands and held them in his, staring longingly into my eyes with a gentle and bittersweet smile. If there was one way that Tom could win me over with, it was with his beautiful smile that always seemed to make me smile too and when he did so, my knees felt weak. I felt like I was going to drop to the floor.

Why did he have to be so cute when he smiled? That stupid smile! That stupid, deceiving, playful, devilish smile! Still, I leaned in closer to him as he began to do the same, hesitant just like me. I could sense his lips even with my eyes closed. They were an inch close now.

I let my hands slide away from his and I backed away before it could happen. "No!" I said. "Stop! You're doing it again!"

"Doing what?" He threw his hands out infront of him, shrugging.

I groaned and threw my arms down by my sides in frustration. "You know what! I'm done playing your stupid games, Tom!" With that, I turned my back on him, trudging down the corridors of fiery torches until I had reached the open hallway that led to the stairway to the first floor of the main entrance of the castle. The whole time I went, Tom was just a foot or so behind me, trying to chase me while pleading.

"Star, stop! Where are you going?" I would have kept going if he hadn't taken hold of my wrist and held me back. "What are you doing?" He proceeded to ask.

I yanked away my arm and shot him a dirty look over my shoulder. "I'm going to get Marco and get out of here and never talk to you again." As I went on more, he still yelled to me, gaining on me as I ran through the double doors of the castle.

"Star, you can't!" He said. "Stop, please! I'm serious! It's not safe!"

I swung open the doors and the first thing I had heard was the screams of tortured souls, still lingering. They came from way down below and as I began to get farther away from the castle, the intense heat of the lava underneath the rocks I walked on burned my bare feet.

But as I had reached the slippery edge, I had slid to the steep fall of the boiling lava pit below that bubbled and brewed. Tom tried to grab my outstretched hand yet didn't get to me in time. He was an inch too late. I went plummeting, plunging, falling headfirst.

Frantically, I tried to focus and concentrate hard. My angel wings probably weren't any better than my mewberty wings, still I clenched my eyes shut tight and gritted my teeth.

It didn't matter how hard I tried to save myself however. I was already falling, deeper and deeper, straight into the lava that I was already feeling on the back of my head. My wings flapped unevenly yet black feathers had shed and broken off, hovering above my head and floating like I was frozen in time and watching them move in slow motion.

From above me, I could see Tom, looking down on me with three frightened, widened eyes. He was kneeling down on the edge from where I fell, his arm outstretched in front of him, yet too far out of reach.

Then, to my surprise, a strong arm had grabbed me. I went up from there, being carried further away from my impending doom. I went up, flying upwards, back to the safety of the castle. The heat from below had become less and less and I couldn't help but be thankful.

The arm around me had loosened and dropped me right next to Tom. I gazed up at him, his face filled with relief to see me. He pulled me into him, away from the frightening edge. I didn't know I was holding onto him so tight until after I had turned away from my doom below and back up at him.

My body wouldn't cease from its uneasy shaking in his arms as he hugged me. I held onto him as if he was the life preserver and I was drowning and sinking. I climbed in him, throwing my arms over his shoulders, making him almost stumble backwards.

A wind had blown swiftly in my face as a dark shadow had landed from above and loomed over us. I opened my eyes, feeling the uncomfortably eerie presence. He had gigantic wings folded behind him, meeting all the way down to the ground, dragging behind him. Not only that, he had an unbelievably built body. It was almost as if his muscles had flexed every time he breathed. He was at least three feet taller than I was, making me feel overwhelmingly small. He looked at me, as if to examine me with an expression of sympathy but also shock.

"T-Tom?" I mumbled into his ear.

Tom turned around quickly. When he did, he was dumbstruck and speechless. His mouth hung open in the words he could not find. When he found his words again, he spoke up, yet his voice remained caught in his throat. "D-dad, y-you're back early."


	29. The Diamond Ring

He looked down upon Tom, his face expressionless. Then, as he took two steps towards him, his stern and stuck face had clenched up as he let out a growl, almost as if he was disapproving of Tom. His face might have been strict with a nasty snarl, yet as I looked over at Tom's, his face was filled with worry and almost fear. I saw him swallow the fear hard down his throat and try to gather up his inner strength.

"You've gotten a lot softer since I last saw you." His dad said in a low demonic grumble. I could practically feel the vibration of his voice as it shook the ground from where I stood.

If there was one thing that I learned about Tom's relationship with his own dad, it was that they weren't really close. His dad was strict, uptight, and, without a doubt, frightening. He had his way of letting you know when he was coming. It was the kind of feeling you got when your whole entire body went stiff and you would most likely never forget the feeling. I shivered at the presence of him, towering over Tom, twice his height as he held a vicious, jagged-toothed half smile. I could clearly see the disgust and disappointment on his face.

Tom's dad, King Lucitor, King of all of the Underworld, was like an immovable mountain. You could never shake him or break him or even catch him by surprise. He remained unimpressed and no matter how hard Tom tried, it was never good enough. As for Tom it clearly showed how pressured he was to be just as gruesome a king as his dad before him.

Basically, to sum it all up, if Tom had fallen into the lava pit instead of me, his dad would have stood and watched as his own son burned. I had never seen a soft side from him, not even if that soft side was Tom. I guess it was accurate to say Tom and his dad had a tough family love, though I hardly saw the love part.

"What are you doing here?" Tom said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "I thought you wouldn't be back until -" He was cut off when he noticed his dad's stare, his eyes slowly moving to me now. It made my stomach uneasy, the way he didn't turn fully to get a good look at me but instead gave me a hard side glare.

I had only met Tom's dad once, yet he was just as uptight and unmoving as I had remembered him to be. When Tom introduced me to him, he did not seem glad to see me nor did he seem nonaccepting, though I wasn't sure. The slightest of an actual reaction I've ever seen out of him was when Tom told him that I was the Princess of Mewni. Only then did he raise an eyebrow and a quiet, short chortle erupted from his throat. I wasn't exactly sure how to take that, still expecting him to say something but he never did.

Now, he stood in front of me and as he came closer to get a better look at me, he brought his face just inches away from mine until I felt him breathing and letting the air out through his nose, letting it blow off on me as if he was a bull about to charge. His eyes penetrated through my own eyes with an intense stare. Then he pulled away from my face and he laughed a sinister laugh.

"You've sinned gravely, little one." The heat of the Underworld began to burn my lungs with a stinging and as he laughed more, I felt the ground rumble and my legs wanted to give out from underneath me. His laughter echoed through my ears, bringing my whole body to a wavering state. "An angel and a demon?! Hasn't anyone told you?" He brought his face back to mine, his voice reaching a low volume. "Falling in love with a demon is a sin, sweetie."

The heat now rose to my face and I dropped my head, feeling as if I had been exposed. How did he know? My sin, was it noticeable? How did he see through me like that?

"Dad, you remember Star, right?" Tom's loud and passive aggressive voice rang in which shut up his dad somewhat quickly.

To that, he said, "Hm, I thought you looked familiar." After a moment of silence and thought, his eyes transferred to Tom and then back to me. "Excuse me, Princess. I didn't know -"

I shook my head, knowing if I wasn't royalty, he wouldn't have ever apologized. "I-it's fine. I... need to sit down."

To my remarks, he agreed. "Yes, why don't we get you inside and settled." Seriously, if I wasn't royalty, Tom's dad would have already torn out my organs and served them on a platter or whatever cruel things he may have had in mind. He was sugar coating his fake kindness, I could tell. Still, I accepted and followed him inside the castle doors.

...

The bedroom was just like all the other rooms in the castle except this one had dust covering the bed's side tables like a blanket. Occasionally, I'd see a cockroach crawl out from underneath the bed and I would put my feet up on the bed, away from the edge as if I was afraid one might find my foot and scurry up my leg.

The whole bedroom was dimly lit, almost dark but I guess when you're a demon, you start to get used to the darkness underground. There was only one single torch lit up in the bedroom I sat in. It calmed me as it flickered and danced. Its light was just enough though to see as much of the Gothic Victorian styled furniture as I could.

The bed frame color was a dark walnut tone and the bed itself was huge. It could probably hold three people at once. It was a canopy bed too, one with long dark burgundy drapes to add to the drama. The style and pattern of the bed also pretty much continued throughout the room. On the side tables on each side of the bed, instead of lamps, there were candleholders with candlesticks that were lit as well.

From beyond the closed door of the guest bedroom, I could overhear the commotion of mumbles, Tom and his dad. I attempted to block them out as best as I could, even going around the room and looking at the contents on top of the dresser. There was an old jewelry box with a crippled and creased, as if to be folded down the middle, photograph of Tom. He was still a baby in the photo and appeared to be grabbing at both of his short, not yet fully grown horns. As he smiled, his only tooth present was his sharp tooth at the far right side of his mouth, hanging out from his bottom lip, noticeably.

I picked up the picture, unable to hold in a chortle at his goofiness. Unfortunately, this was not the Tom I knew today, as he was much more aggro and dark. After a while of tuning the mumbles out, I realized how they became slightly louder, catching my attention.

Tom sounded serious and worried as he spoke. He sounded as if he was suddenly struck with sorrow. As I now listened in, I wondered what could be worrying him. Through the crack in the door, I tried to get the best view I could of the two of them, although all I could see was Tom's back.

I didn't dare push the door further out or I might be spotted for my snoopiness. I felt a little too uncomfortable to breathe, feeling like if I breathed too loud, they would know I was there, spying in on a conversation that I wasn't meant to hear.

"D-Dad, I-I can't." Tom stuttered.

"I'm not giving you a choice here, son." His dad mumbled. He took Tom's right hand, placing something in the palm of his hand before closing it and making Tom hold it in his hand. "You have to."

"But-" Tom was cut off, as he was not finished speaking.

"This is what you've been training for your whole life. It's now or never." There was a lengthy pause before he spoke again. "Now, go. She's waiting."

I lunged myself away from the door as quickly as I could. My heart began to roar as my stomach knotted itself and my mind quickened all at once. My frantic hands found out that I hadn't put the photo of Tom back where I had found it and as I began to do so, more light came into the room from the doorway.

The door had opened and with it, I felt like I had been caught, staring at the figure in the doorway like a deer in the headlights. As the door's hinges squeaked, my heart wanted to scream out in fear. Tom's silhouette stood there, turning his gaze onto me.

I wasn't sure what to say, so instead my mouth hung open.

"Hey." He grinned nervously, breaking the silence between us.

"Hey." I said, though my voice got caught in my throat. When I cleared it, I retried. "Hey." I sounded more casual this time.

When he came more into the room, I noticed he was fidgeting with something in his tux pocket, the same hand that his dad had used to plant a small object in. I found myself staring in the direction of it and when I did, he pulled his hand out of his pocket, empty-handed.

"Is... everything okay?" I questioned.

"Huh?" Tom said, my question bringing him back to reality after being lost in thought. Then, almost immediately, he went on. "Uh, oh, yeah. No. Everything's... fine. Great." He rambled on, telling me that something really was wrong because he was rambling.

I breathed a laugh through my nose, not knowing what else to do. Just as I did, Tom sucked in a long breath, not letting it out. He took my hand and held it in his, looking up at my face as if searching for a reaction. Finally, he reached into his right pocket and felt around for the object, pulling it out and holding it out in the space between us.

The sight of its shining, translucent jewel could have made me faint on the spot. I held onto the canopy of the bed frame to keep myself on my feet and I waited for my dizziness and blurred vision to subside. I took a step back as I couldn't help myself but gaze down at the diamond ring. I shook my head continuously but he went on.

"Star..."

"No." My voice hardly came out, a fearful whisper. "No. No, I can't!" Tears began to crawl up my throat and I turned to the ground and looked up, hoping for the ring to be just an illusion or hallucination but it wasn't. It was still there.

"I-I'm sorry, Star. I don't have a choice." With his hand in mine, he brought the ring up to my finger and slid it on. I fell to the floor, my body shaking and the tears coming out and rolling down my face. I hated the way it fit around my finger, a perfect size. I hated that it had to be Tom's.

He pulled me into him, feeling my sorrow and, for once, I actually sensed his sympathetic side. My head laid on his chest as he took in uneven breaths and I could tell he was trying to keep his sadness deep down.

Tom didn't utter a word but only pulled my loose hair behind my ear and out of my face. I sat there, crying into him for a while as he cradled me on the floor.


	30. I'm Sorry

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I began to cry so much, it tired me out. I hadn't realized it, but when Tom began to lift me off the ground bridal style, I realized I had almost fallen asleep on him. He took me and lifted me to the bed behind us, even tucking me in with the sheets at the end of the bed. He sat in the chair by my side, looking towards the ground as if he was trying to find what to say. When he couldn't, he sighed and left the room without another delay.

I watched him go, though for some reason, something inside me wanted him to stay. I didn't want to be left in the bedroom by myself. I was so desperate, I was willing to have the comfort of someone, anyone.

I needed someone, and as I let my hand drop to my right side onto the cold side of the bed, who I found sleeping there was the one who filled my thoughts, my worries, and my heart.

It was Marco.

I ached for his presence and wished it was him who would reveal himself through the bedroom door with his brunette hair and vivid green eyes, no matter if he was a demon or not. I still missed him. I needed to hear his voice and feel his warmth. I needed to hear his soothing and steady heart beat from inside his chest as I listened with my head resting there.

I stared at the ceiling, thinking of the feeling of my heart gushing as if he was really here, in the room with me.

But then that's when I remembered the last thing I had said to him.

 _"_ _You really are a demon."_

My heart had went from a glowing, soft, and giggly sensation to a bitter and sharp pang feeling. I couldn't help but think to myself. Marco was going to die in that cellar. And all he had to cherish me by were the stinging words I had left behind with him.

How could I? I _loved_ him! And this is how I treated him for saving me from dying myself? What's wrong with me?

I covered my face in my hands, feeling another crying fit surely to come. But I had no time to cry and feel sorry for myself. I got out of bed, headed to the door and checked to see if the coast was clear. When I found it was, I didn't plan on wasting another second.

Before I left, however, I felt the heftiness of the ring on my finger. My other hand began to play with the ring until it was off my finger. I squeezed it in my hand furiously as if I would be able to suffocate it, shatter it to pieces. Then, I threw it with all my force. It hit the wall across from the bed with a thump and clang. It bounced off the wall and cluttered to the ground.

My heart jumped, suddenly feeling guilty and ashamed. I hoped the ring wasn't damaged or broken. I hesitated there for a while, deciding if I should go and retrieve it or discard it.

I shook my head, rationalizing with myself that I shouldn't care for such a stupid piece of jewelry that meant nothing to me and continued on through the castle, sneaking through the darkness. Thankfully, I have been to Tom's castle enough times that I was able to even find my way out.

As I took a step out of the double doors, I sighed with relief. The demons below howled and I briefly stood there, questioning to myself how anyone got any sleep in the Underworld from the constant racket.

That afternoon, I had went back to find Marco only to discover he wasn't there at all. He was gone, just like that. I even called to him, yet no answer.

I dropped to my shaking and wobbling knees and covered my mouth with both my hands. Sudden worry and fear had struck through my body like a lightening bolt. What if Tom came back for Marco before I could get to him? It was the only logical answer that my mind could come up with. How else would the cellar be empty?

My fists struck the ground with a pound and I shouted his name for the whole Underworld to hear. My voice trembled.

"Marrrrcoooooo!"

…

• •

At first, I was speechless. I let go of her throat, not realizing I had been holding my hands so tight around her, so tight, in fact, that I had left marks, even a bruise.

I noticed now how badly my hands had trembled and how I stared down at them as if they weren't even my own. My clothes were soaked, but that was no match for Star, who was laying completely down in the river. Her mouth hung open, voluntarily letting the river's water in and her eyes were peacefully closed. Her body was motionless and only the water slightly swaying her hair with it.

I had my body sitting on her too, holding her down which had frightened me even more. My body went stiff and I knew if I got up now, my legs would give out anyway to plummet me back in the river. I was so frozen with utter horror that if it wasn't for Tom, I wouldn't have ever moved again.

He pulled me off of her, dragging me to the riverbank. He went plunging back in, the depth of the river only going up to his knees. I saw him kneel down and lift her head above the water and look at her for a while, waiting. "Star! Can you hear me? C'mon, answer me! Say something! Open your eyes! Don't do this to me!" He exclaimed with rage and sorrow all at once.

Acting as quick as he could, he had carried her to the bank, laying her by my side. I took that opportunity to get a good look at her myself. I crawled over to her and saw her face, drained from life and color as well as her hearts that were stamped permanently there.

"St-Star?" I whispered, yet my voice seemed to echo a little, extending my voice into the abyss of the endless trees and beyond. After a still and calm moment of silence, I drooped my head as if to mourn her.

The next second, a hand, damp and cold, grabbed me forcefully. I screamed, suddenly discovering it was Star's. I looked upon her face to find her eyes were wide open and her facial expression had made me scream out loud in total fear. She came back to life with deep, exaggerated breaths, breathing in and out as if the air in the world was just catching up with her. Her eyes shook as they gazed up at me and she refused to let go of my wrist, even after I struggled to free myself. She held on.

"What. Did you. Do?" She demanded in between breaths.

I was still screaming and as I sat up with my eyes snapped open, I realized that I had still been screaming out of a blind panic. Moon, Star's mother, had come bursting into the room, alarmed and wide awake.

When she had noticed I was in no real danger, her chest rose and fell in a sigh. My face was wet, I found out and I wiped it with my hand. I had been crying which surprised me. It surprised me how real and scary dreams could be, grabbing such a strong hold on people's emotions.

I knew it was all I dream, yet I couldn't stop the tears. I continued to sob as I wiped the running snot coming from my nose.

"Marco, what's wrong? Are you okay, dear?" Moon asked, a mellow tone of voice but also panicked.

I couldn't cease from my body from its shaking state and I covered my mouth, trying to hold in the yelps and cries I wanted to desperately let out to avoid Moon's aid. I shook my head, unable to use words, unable to speak. She probably sensed my true hurt because she sat next to me on the bed and pulled me into her to comfort me.

Despite the awkwardness of being comforted by her, I still accepted it. I had borrowed my head into her lap and laid there, letting my cry echo and travel through the room.

"It's okay, sweetie." She whispered, stroking my hair back, caring for me as if I was her own daughter.

"No." I mumbled, my bottom lip quivering. "It's not okay. It'll never be okay."

"It is only a dream."

I whispered something else under my breath, something so quiet that Moon could have missed it. But, she didn't. She stopped combing my hair back and I didn't dare look up at her to see what her facial expression was - sorrow, confusion, or maybe anger.

"Marco?" She said, her voice just as muttered as mine now.

"I'm sorry." I interjected, not letting her finish whatever she had to say next.

"Don't be sorry, Marco. You have nothing to be sorry for."

A stretch of silence as I let out another episode of sobs. "No, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to, I really didn't, I swear. Star meant _everything_ to me. I would never try to hurt her on purpose." My words tumbled out on top of each other, falling out like an avalanche.

"Marco, please, calm down. What do you mean? What happened to Star?" Now, she sounded shaken.

"I… killed her." Just the feeling of the words in my own mouth disgusted me. They felt strange, ugly, and unforgiving. The lump in my throat only got more heavier and harder to bear. As my lip wavered again, I knew I was going to let out another round of sobs, which is what I did.


	31. Romeo and Juliet

Moon was struck with complete silence. She froze and I could feel her tension build in the room. She was going to blow, I could sense it. "Marco," She began, her voice lost of all its calmness. "What happened to my daughter?" Her voice broke out at her last word.

By this point, I was already sitting up and staring at the floor, unable to stop myself from crying. "I held her down." The words were hard to get out. I could feel my throat closing and swelling, forcing me to cry more. "M-my hands..." I lifted my shaky hands out infront of me as if to reenact what I did, my hands grasping at the air as if it was Star's throat. "I held her so tight... I couldn't stop myself... She-she was trying to... And I just watched..." I paused to breathe and swallow the bolder in my throat. "She was... choking... H-her fighting gave out... she stopped... moving... breathing." My hands dropped out from infront of me and I fell back onto the bed, the tears falling from my face and I began to cry more. My body felt weak. All I could do was feel the pain and hurt of my body as I listened to my voice give out a high-pitched whine.

I didn't think Moon would ever say another word. She went mute.

"I know it's not my fault... It's not, it's not... It wasn't me... But why do I still feel like it is?"

"Get out."

I turned my head around. It was Moon's voice, quiet yet shattered and dull.

"What?"

"You heard me, Marco! Get out!" She got up and though she didn't scream, she sounded close to it. Her arm stuck out, pointing strictly to the doorway. I was taken back by the tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Her sharp and distinct voice startled me, making me leap up and stumble to the doorway.

I ran out the rest of the way, even hitting River, who was at the bottom of the stairs, concerned and sympathetic. His eyes were tired yet full of pity. I stopped when I had bumped into him, yet we did not say anything. I turned around and kept on running. My sobs were the only thing heard throughout the castle.

...

My fist banged on the door with three aggressive knocks. When no one had answered, I banged again. This time, the door opened and Tom had shown himself. His face went from fatigue to shell-shocked in half a second. "Marco?"

My eyes narrowed in anger and I let out unsteady breaths, tears still slipping down my face. Before he could say or do anything else, I lunged my body at him. I pushed him to the floor with a sudden force and I restrained him there by his shoulders, in the middle of the royal castle's main hall. "Hey, what the he-"

"Tell me right now, Tom!" I yelled, my voice rumbling a demonic tone throughout the hall. "Tell me you were sorry for what you did!"

"W-what are you talking about?" His voice was rushed and panicked.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about! Have you _ever_ felt sorry? Even just a little? You think you can just go your whole damn immortal life with no worries? News flash, Tom! You may be Prince of the Underworld, but that doesn't excuse you for what you did!" I spat in his face. He squirmed, trying to get out of my grasp but I had him pinned. "You spelled me! And _you_ were the one to kill Star!"

"How _dare_ you accuse me of ever laying a finger on Star! I didn't kill her, Marco! You did! You did it all with your bare hands! _You_ killed her!"

At his filthy words, my temper snapped. I rose my right hand, balling it up into a tight fist. A spark had ignited into my fist and my hand had been engulfed in a green fire, blazing and full of fury. I was ready to strike him, but a powerful force had struck me first, making me airborne, then sending me landing hard on my rear end to one of the pillars. If the pillar wasn't as sturdy as it was, my blow to it would have broken right through it.

"Who dares attack my son in our own home?" The voice bellowed from above us. When I had looked up, the winged demon was easing to a drop to the main hall from the balcony of the second floor. It was me and - I mean, Tom's dad. He had shot his eyes in my direction and with one look, his eyebrows went up and his hardness had changed.

He let out a "hmph" of a short and brief laugh as if it had only took him five seconds to figure me out. "I suggest you leave now if you want to live. If not, then I have plenty other fun and satisfying alternatives for your punishment."

"No." I said flatly, picking myself up and feeling the pain in my right shoulder and most of my back.

He chuckled to himself once more before speaking up louder, more strict than ever. "That wasn't an invitation, my boy. There is nothing for you he-"

Just then, a sweet voice had called my name from above. Her voice was just as melodious as the harp it resembled. "Marco!" I looked up and there she was, racing down the grand double stairs. She was such in an excitement to see me, she had almost tripped and tumbled. Luckily, she had gripped onto the railing to break her fall.

"Star! You're okay!" I couldn't help myself and ran towards her as well. We met at the bottom of the stairs and she almost literally fell into my waiting arms. When she did, I couldn't stop myself from crying. She was here and she was okay now that she was in my arms. I took her down with me as I dropped to my weak knees, unable to stand.

I had met her eyes to discover they were teary too. Her words were all eager to come out simultaneously. "Of course I'm okay! Look at you! You're a mess!" She smiled bittersweetly and I let out a soft chortle. "I'm so sorry for what I said. I went to go find you but you were already gone and I was so worried about you! I thought you were-"

I held her gentle face with my light hands and wiped her running tears away. She did the same and leaned her forehead up against my own. "It's okay, Star. I'm okay. And so are you."

"Oh, so I see." A grumble broke out. "Romeo had come back to reclaim his precious Juliet. Such a touching, romantic story, isn't it? That is, unless, if Juliet hadn't already been... engaged." King Lucitor gestured to Tom by his side, even putting his proud hand on his shoulder.

"Star... what's-"

"No, it's nothing!" She interrupted, shaking her head continuously. She stared at me with her bold, shaking pupils. "It's - nothing."

I had felt her hand as I held it. My fingers had bumped something that was wrapped around her finger - a ring. But when I had gazed down, I realized it wasn't just any ring. It was a wedding ring, almost Gothic-like. It was big. The outline shone it's shining silver with a trace of black. It curved until it reached the jewel, which was the most biggest red emerald I have ever seen. She shoved her hand away from my sight before I could finish inspecting it. By the time I looked up, she had averted her eyes, staring hard at the ground.

"Star, what's going on?" My voice shook and I struggled to keep it steady.

King Lucitor approached with a confident yet slow manner. He took Star's hand and lifted her up to her feet. He leaned in closer to me to mutter one last thing in my ear. "Like I said, my boy. There is nothing for you here."

Star walked off with him, Tom at their heels. They went up the stairs, a mockingly slow pace. Tom gave me one last glance before following them up. I got to my feet, watching as Star turned back briefly to meet my eyes and then avert them once more. It hurt her to look back, I knew it. It hurt me too.

I stood there for another moment, then showed myself to the castle's doors that awaited me.


	32. Complicated

I was getting really tired of feeling this way. It was the most awful feeling I've ever felt. I was tired of crying and just being sorry for myself. I hated myself. Even when I thought of Star, there was this overwhelming amount of pity. I have her and that is the only thing I don't hate about myself. She makes me feel like the angel I am not. It's like I'm blessed to have her. When I hold her into me, she gives me my holy feathers and floating halo above my head.

Though sometimes, I look at her and see the angel for who she is, the angel I am forbidden to have. Sometimes I just think I don't deserve her. I think maybe she only forgave me because she was taught to in the Above, a sin to _not_ forgive.

But that didn't mean that angels couldn't take pity on demons for what they've become. That was the only flaw that the Above had made. Their angels were to eventually build up so much sympathy on those sinners that they couldn't help but sin while helping those who already have.

She shouldn't have to take pity on me. It's a burden. She shouldn't have to be that way. She shouldn't even have to be dead. I would constantly fight in my own head if it really was me that did it or Tom. It was so easy to believe that _I_ was the one to take her away. But I would have never done it if Tom hadn't spelled me to ignore her at all costs. But I was the one to bring my hands to her neck.

This cycle would go on inside my mind and never stop. And as I sat upon the front steps of the Lucitor's castle, I realized I had been pondering it for too long. My next thought was where I was going to go. I wasn't really welcome anywhere, except that damn cellar. I had nowhere else to go. No family or real home to remember, no comfort at Star's home, no respect in the Underworld castle. Nothing. All I had was me, myself and I. And right now, me, myself and I were just sitting, rotting my brain and filling it with horrible thoughts. I was alone, I began to think. There was no one left to save me.

I was starting to consider King Lucitor's alternatives. Maybe it would be relieving to have myself burned to a crisp or have my head chewed off or anything else, really. But this time, I wouldn't come back like Star. I would just be gone, free from the torture, free from the pain, free from the torment my mind caused me every second.

I groaned, shaking my head aggressively.

 _Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!_ _Don't think like that! It'll be okay. Just breathe._

That's exactly what I did too. I sighed and repeated positive words in my head, filling my dark thoughts with words of hope.

 _Everything will be alright. It'll all work itself out. Just breathe._

I decided the only decision I had was to go to Moon and somehow explain to her how her daughter is still alive and an angel who is marrying her demon ex-boyfriend. Yeah, that'll work, for sure. What choice did I have anyway? She was just going to throw me out again, but she was the only one I could make understand the severity of the situation. Or try to, at least.

I sighed and took one last glance up at the Underworld's castle. Then, I left, leaving nothing but green flames behind.

When I had gotten to the steps of the Butterfly castle, I was greeted by two guards. They blocked the entry to the front doors, asking me if I had permission to proceed. From behind them, River had made his presence known and opened the doors. "That'll do gentlemen. I'll take it from here. Come in, Marco."

River went on to telling me that Moon is still really upset, but as for him, he still needed answers. I told him everything. I told him how I was spelled by her ex-boyfriend and how I wasn't myself that night and how I turned into a demon. Though it was difficult for him to understand, I knew because I was watching his facial expressions, I also knew he was letting me explain it all how I remembered it.

The hardest part was what I had to explain next.

"Well…" He began, rising out of his throne as if ready to end our conversation. "I… I think we're done here-"

"Wait." I cut him short, holding my hands out infront of me. "Th-there's… more… you don't know."

He sat back down, his face filled with obvious confusion. "Marco, my dear boy, I think I've heard enough."

"No, please. You need to hear this. I -"

Just then, a guard had trudged in from behind me, his eyes locked on River's. His stare was hard and focused as he held a letter, wrapped in a nicely tied red ribbon, in his hand. He continued up the steps to the throne and from where I stood, his voice was just a mumble. "It's from the Underworld."

With a raised eyebrow, River snatched the paper from his hands and tore it open with an impatient grumble. I watched his eyes as they scanned the letter, going from left to right. As he scanned the words, I saw his mouth word out everything he read. He retracted and both his eyebrows were raised with astonishment.

"M-my little girl is getting… _married?_ "


	33. A Demon's Bride

We took to the Underworld right away. Before we left however, River had let me get cleaned up, considering the only shirt I had was stained with dried blood. He let me get cleaned and washed up, even giving me a royal outfit that fit me surprisingly well.

It was a prince outfit, white with gold epaulets and a double breasted suit that also had a color of gold. My pants were also white to match my shirt and for shoes, nice, black dress shoes. There was even a short cloak to add to the flare and I had to say, I kinda liked it.

I smiled to myself with the sudden silly thought that had crossed my mind. I knew if Star could see me now, she'd laugh. I looked as if I could pull off being a prince. I bet she would think it was cute.

"C'mon, Marco." A voice had interrupted my montage of poses in the mirror. "You and I are going to go show that king-of-a-no-good-kingdom what it is like when he messes with me." As he talked and plotted his scheme out loud, he went over to a closet and swung open the doors, revealing a whole wall of seemingly painful and torturous weapons. He pulled out as much as he could carry, clearly taking the situation too dramatically.

As for me, I hadn't stopped posing in the mirror, staring in wonder at my outfit. "Y'know, this suit is nice, but I think a crown on top would pull it all off. What do you think? Prince of Mewni!" I grinned playfully, whipping my cape behind me to pose.

He let out of puff of a sarcastic laugh in response. "More like Prince of my behind. Let's go. We need to hurry." He carried all the weapons he could, but as he walked off, a few had tumbled and fallen out of his arms.

"Uh, are you sure you need that many weapons?" I questioned him.

"Yes." Was all I got before he went on infront of me, leaving me to chase after him to catch up.

When you are royalty, there are a few things you learn. First off, your life is always, _always_ , controlled, planned out, set in stone, if you will. Second, when a suitor proposes to you, accept it. That's all you can do. There is no backing out. You can't. Last but not least, even when you are dead, your wedding day is taken with you to your grave.

King Lucitor had invited the whole Underworld to come see it. The servants had decorated the ballroom as well as the castle's chapel. Everything was too Gothic for my taste. It was an eyesore. But, King Lucitor liked tradition as well as keeping the Underworld castle to its deep, dark style. The main colors were mostly red and black throughout the castle and so was the wedding ceremony.

Not only that, my dress was kept to its tradition too. It was a medieval style dress. It looked like a ballgown except fancier. The gown was big and black while the kirtle and corset were a dark red. If King Lucitor was going for a big and dramatic effect, then this dress was it.

I was staring at my reflection in the mirror when he had come in, chuckling as if to be proud of outdoing himself when he had seen my dress. "My, my." He exclaimed, a sickening smirk on his face. I attempted not to look. Instead, I tried to stare at nothing as the tailor was tying my corset from behind. "You look beautiful, Princess. Don't you think?"

"It's hideous." I murmured under my breath, though King Lucitor had still heard me.

He leaned in close to my ear, his temper already ready to snap. "What. Was that?" He said, his voice sounding like it had been disturbed from its regular tune.

"Nothing." I mumbled back, still staring at the ground.

He stood tall again, straightening himself out. His hands were behind his back and he spoke to the tailor this time. "Would you give us a moment alone?" With that, he left, and only then did King Lucitor speak again. "Princess, look in the mirror." He said, lifting my chin so that my eyes gazed upon my reflection. He put his hand on my shoulder while the other twirled my front strands of long hair, the only hair that wasn't held up in curly locks. "Imagine this joyous sight. The doors open, the Aisle is set, you make your way through the crowd and everyone is in awe-"

I pushed away from his hands and walked away from the mirror. "No. This isn't fair. I can't do this." I tried to leave the room, but he took hold of my wrist and spun me back around.

" _You_ are not going anywhere. You hear me? I am not letting you go run off just so you can be with that other boy!" Now, his hand squeezed my wrist until I couldn't feel my own hand. He didn't let go either, even when I was trying to pull away. "You are getting married and that is final. Do I make myself clear, Princess?" He snarled, his face was distorted into an angered expression. I nodded, unable to talk. "That's my girl." He chirped, letting me slip my hand away finally.

The tailor had come back, approaching with caution. He was reassured by King Lucitor to continue. Before he left, however, I heard him say something else to the tailor. "Tighten her corset. We don't want any… funny business."

The corset on the dress was strangling. I couldn't even breathe without inhaling and having it sucked right out of me. Not only that, the Underworld heat was not exactly working to my advantage either. I was exhausted as I waited there by the chapel's double doors. The tailor, though he was only tall enough for his head to be at length with my shoulders, had helped me not trip over my dress, holding its draping backside. "Uh, Miss Butterfly?" He said, his voice as gentle and shy as ever. "I, uh, well, I just wanted to say… you don't have to do this if you don't want to. Do whatever feels right. Uh, listen to your heart."

I gave him a warm smile and kneeled down to hug him. "Thanks, Vincent."

"Y-you know my name?"

I let a chortle out and nodded. "I remember you." And I did. I had met him the first time that Tom had given me a grand tour of his castle. I had chuckled at his name, but not that the name was funny, but that it was unique to me. It was different. I liked it.

Just as I had stood up again, the doors had already begun to swing open. I felt the air leave me and my throat began to swell with stress and fear. I swallowed the lump the best that I could and began to walk down the Aisle.

It was hard to look at everyone in the crowd. They stood as I made my way slowly to the front of the room. It felt like an eternity. I stared down at the gigantic bouquet of roses in my hands. I didn't understand why there had to be so many of them in one bouquet.

With every step, I felt the nausea want to invade its way through my stomach and out of my mouth. My heart pounded against my chest, threatening to scatter at the first chance I could give it. I wanted to cry so bad, but instead I just bit my bottom lip before it could waver.

I just needed to breathe and keep walking forward, which were both impossible to do in this stupid dress. I could feel the burning heat of a hundred stares on my back. Everyone was looking at me, even Tom, who looked as if he was driven speechless as he watched me make my way up the Aisle.

Even through my veil, I saw Tom's face darken to a blushing red. He was wearing a black suit with a red undershirt, matching my own dress' color scheme. It reminded me of his suit he wore during the Blood Moon Ball because of the similar design and style it had. From there, Tom had lifted my veil and brought it over my head so that everyone could better see my face, though I wish they couldn't.

I stole a look around at the crowd of demons. Some were tearing up with happiness. I looked around the crowd, yet was never greeted by a pair of beautiful green eyes.

Marco hadn't come. I thought for sure he would have. I thought, just maybe, that he would have come to take me by the hand and drag me away from this mess. I guess that was too much to ask. I mean, he cared about me, didn't he?

Then again, if he really _did_ care about me, he wouldn't have left that easily when he had come back for me. Just two days ago, he had hugged me, almost squeezing me. I had never seen him so eager to see me before, yet he left so quickly. I even peered over my shoulder, hoping he'd get the hint that I was desperate for him to stop me as I took King Lucitor's hand and followed him. He didn't. He just left.

As the priest had said his words, I felt myself zoning more and more out, his voice becoming more and more of a drowning noise, a buzzing like an annoying fly next to my ear.

Still, I hoped with all my heart that he would swing open those doors and find me.

We had made it to the Underworld castle in seconds, though River was stopped at the open double doors due to a strong magic barrier that had kept him out. The barrier had not given me any trouble, probably a barrier that only kept mortal beings out, yet let only demons pass through. I had cursed under my breath and told River to stay put, that I would be back after I found Star.

From then on, I ran throughout the castle, going in every turn and direction there was. My steps were loud and stomping fast on the stone ground.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's truly greatest moments and to cherish and honor the words which shall unite Prince Tom Lucitor of the Underworld and Princess Star Butterfly of Mewni in marriage."

I didn't know why, but I began to get in a frenzy. I was panicking, feeling as if my time was running out. I had gotten so exhausted from running that I eventually started using my wings. Minutes felt like hours that I had discovered myself going in circles.

The priest had spoken the vows for, what seemed like, years. My head was getting cut off from the oxygen in the air and my corset was definitely the cause of my troubles. I tried to keep breathing and stay still, but all I wished for right now was a pair of gardening shears to tear off this cursed corset. I was getting light headed and was already too tired to even think straight.

"Do you, Tom, take Star to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until immortal death do you part?"

"I do."

Next thing I knew, I had bumped into someone, taking them down to the ground with me on top of them. "Hey, watch where you're going." He grumbled, picking up my wing and trying to free himself.

I got up and straightened myself out, also giving the demon a helpful hand up too. "Sorry, I didn't mean to - Look! I'm kind of in a hurry. Have you seen a girl, blonde hair, dark angel wings?"

The short demon who was only as tall as my shoulders went stunned. His eyebrows were up in a startled state. "You're him! You're the boy!" He was chuckling, probably realizing why I was really here. Then, as if his joy was shattered, he realized something as his face showed it. He gasped. "We need to go! C'mon! Follow me!"

I did so. Every second, I felt my heart let out a heartbeat that thumped and my feet let out a stomp that shook the castle. Worry filled my mind and I hoped I wasn't too late.

"Do you, Star, take Tom to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until immortal death do you part?"

I looked up at Tom. I couldn't speak. My lungs felt as if they were being crushed, but the fear of the moment was enough alone to want to make me cry. Behind Tom, his dad hovered like a shadow. His eyebrow raised as he gave a stern look my way. I averted making eye contact with him, since the stress itself was too much for me.

I tried to breathe in the dress, but I found the words did not want to leave my mouth, even when I tried opening my mouth. All I did was stand there, holding Tom's hands, yet not really knowing why I was still here.

"I…" My eyes fell on the ground, unable to take the millions of eyes all staring. "I… can't breathe. I'm sorry." Just like that, I picked up the ruffles of my gown and left quickly, listening to the horrified gasps and eyes follow me out.

"Star, wait!" Tom's voice had called out, yet I didn't even turn around.

I had to go before the lack of air strangled me. It began to hurt. All I could think of was a way to get the dress off as I pushed the door and swung it open with all my strength. My vision began to blur at its edges and the lightheaded sensation was unbearable.

The moment I saw her push open those doors, relief slapped me in the face. I called after her, trying to chase her down, yet she didn't look as if she was in her right state of mind. Her face was almost purple and her eyes fluttered continuously almost like she was trying to keep herself awake. She held her gut too as she exaggerated her breaths.

"Star!"

"Mar-co?" She hurried towards me, still holding her stomach and if I didn't grab her, she would have fallen to the floor. "I ca-n't breathe. I-It's too… tight."

That same second was the moment her head had cocked itself backwards and she began plummeting to the ground. I tried to hold onto her the best I could, but she slipped out of my grasp. She hit her head on the ground, creating a heart-stopping thump.

Tom was the next to swing open the chapel doors and see Star laying there. "Star!" I called out, trying to lift her up. Her eyes were closed and I didn't think she was breathing. "Someone! Help! Sh-she can't breathe!"


	34. No Other Way Than Up (08-02 02:45:56)

Demons never look down. There is nothing else to look down on when you are in the Underworld, only the lava below you. Demons always look up above. That's where the angels lay, oblivious to what's below them. They never look down because to them, they can't let another soul's suffering get to them. They pretend they don't see us, hear us, or even _feel_ us there.

When an angel looks down on you, look up. It is no coincidence that you have caught their attention. They have spotted you out for your uniqueness, for the way that your eyes sparkle and glimmer, for the way you keep your broken smile on your face. It is mostly because they know an angel when they see one.

My angel had come to me. Though, for me, I didn't look up. I had kept her waiting, hoping, calling out my name. It was because she knew I didn't belong in the place of the damned. I didn't even notice her as she frowned upon my demon eyes as I was painted by the lies of another demon.

She had began to weep and with the more that she wept, her arm was outstretched downwards, causing her to fall out of the heavens and downward to the place where that demon had stolen her heart. She came to me because she rather be suffering with me than watch me suffer from the Above. She still had a lot to confess to me.

For me, I wish I had seen her sooner. She was there. Yet, I didn't even look up. She had fallen so hard, in fact, that now I lay with her in my tired arms as she laid there, unconscious. Now, it was time for me to bring her back.

To keep Star from being strangled any further, the tailor had to completely cut off her corset. When she fluttered her eyes open, the first thing she did was smile at me.

King Lucitor was about to continue the ceremony if Tom hadn't finally gotten the courage to look his dad in the eye and call it off. He told him that there will come a day when he does marry, but it wouldn't be today, saying that it's hard enough trying to live up to his standards and so on. To that, his dad gave me a brief side glance, looked back at Tom infront of him, then gave out a half-hearted and unenthusiastic laugh. He grabbed Tom by the collar of his shirt, hoisting him an inch off the ground and growled in his face.

Tom retaliated by trying to struggle free from his dad's grip. After a second or so, however, King Lucitor let go and threw his son back down to the ground, causing Tom to stumble as he was back on his feet. He didn't seem to be weakened or uninfluenced by his dad's actions as his face didn't show it. He kept his stern and stuck expression. He wasn't afraid of his dad at this point.

"We will talk about this later." King Lucitor vowed in an uttered voice, almost sounding like the strict parent he was trying to be. He pointed to Tom with his finger authoritatively then stormed out, letting the doors that he forced angrily open swing closed aggressively again.

Tom sighed deeply and held his head as if the relief was coming over him like a refreshing wave. I don't think he expected that to work, but he had proven himself wrong.

It was a weird and funny feeling when I first woke up. It took me a few moments to realize where I was and what happened. Marco was there by my side as was Tom, telling me that I had just fainted. They said that they had to cut off my corset so I could breathe, which now I could do much easier. The wedding was off, Tom had said. He had gotten into a fight with his dad about it, which was surprising to me considering I've never even seen him stand up against his dad, let alone his orders.

That's when I began to remember that day, the wedding and me running into Marco while running out of the chapel in total embarrassment. That was the last event I could recall before waking up.

Marco had even told me that he had met up with my parents. When I asked how they were, he didn't really have an answer. He just rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "They miss you… a lot." He chortled. Marco told me they were the ones to find him in the cellar and ask about me. He told them everything. That's when my dad set out to come get me. He had to leave, unfortunately, due to some complications and my loss of consciousness. "I kinda promised him I'd bring you back when I could. But, y'know, it's up to you if you want to."

I shook my head slowly and gently, trying not to aggravate the headache I woke up with. I told him that I just needed some time to rest and would meet with my parents when I was ready, and only when I was ready. But to be more precise, the truth was, I just didn't want to see them. Not when I was in the condition I was in. It felt awkward to just trudge back home with the gigantic black-feathered wings of a sinner, wearing an oversized, unbearably itchy wedding dress. Maybe if I wasn't a dead daughter coming back to her very-much alive parents, it would have been easier.

Though, I do dearly wish for my life back, I know I probably won't get it. And as strange as it sounds, I have forgiven Marco for taking my life away from me. Unfortunately, I know he hasn't forgiven himself.

However, the matter of the fact was I was too exhausted to even deal with my parents and the overwhelming questions and attention they had to give me. Marco nodded in understanding.

Marco hurried off to find me some ice for the fresh bump on my head, which he noticed I had, as Tom had shown me back to the guest bedroom. Tom handed me a nightgown that he claimed to be more comfortable than the wedding dress. To be honest, anything in my opinion would be more comfortable than this dress. I thanked him and he was about to leave the room when I stopped him.

"Wait… I… I need to… ask you something." I was expecting him to say something in response, but instead he waited for me to speak again. I did so. "Do you… still… love me?"

He looked a bit caught by surprise. He stuttered. "W-well, yeah. I mean, Star, I've… never stopped loving you."

"But why?" I was too quick to ask. After a few silent seconds, I went on. "Even after I broke up with you and moved on…"

"Yeah, but I haven't. It still hurts. I don't think it will really ever pass. It's just…" He looked up at me the same time I did and we locked eyes for a millisecond before I dropped my eyes again. "Star, you're so amazing. You've gotta know that."

I cracked a smirk but then realized that was how he truly felt. I really meant a lot to him and I just dumped him, leaving him with just a broken heart. He was hurting. My heart must have ached like his at the thought of this and I instinctively wrapped my arms around him in a sympathetic hug. He hugged back too, yet his hold was more tighter. I must have left him waiting too long for a true hug.

If it helped his heart mold back together just a bit, I felt my good deed was fulfilled.

"I'm sorry, Tom. I didn't mean to. It just… wasn't meant to be." I mumbled into his shoulder.

"I-it's okay." I could hear the sound of his voice wanting to break out and cut off. When we broke out of the hug, his eyes were teary and he was resilient in wiping them away and not crying.

A while after Tom had left and I had finally gotten changed, Marco had come in. I was half asleep when he had taken a seat next to the bed and placed a glass of water on the side table. He even had a pack of ice in his hands.

She smiled and I returned the smile. She took hold of my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine. When she chuckled, I did the same. "What?"

"Your hand is cold." She said.

I held up the ice pack in my other hand and laughed once more. "Yeah, it's the ice." She snickered, making me laugh too. "You ready to go?"

"Go where?" She mumbled back.

"Anywhere, but here. I think it's time I bring you back." I told her. Star sighed deeply. She was still tired. I offered to carry her and she gave me a nod in return. I picked her out of bed while she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

We left out the double doors of the castle and once we were out, the souls of the lost moaned and howled from all around us. I learned how to get used to it, but Star looked as if she was trying to cover her ears. "Hold on tight." I said as my wings stretched themselves out. "We're going up."


	35. *GREAT NEWS FOLKS*

**Heyo guys and gals! Liv, here!** **First off, I FINALLY FINISHED MY VERY FIRST BOOK!!** **Yes, there will be a sequel! I didn't plan on leaving you in the dark with what happened next. That's mean. Hahaha, but really.** **THE SEQUEL WILL BE CALLED ASCENSION AND WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE ABOVE** **I have answered some questions about this story on Wattpad and here is what I got:** **Yes, Star will be wishing for her life back. She knows she probably won't though. But, yes, this will be one of the issues in Ascension.** **Yes, Tom will be back. He's gotta plan...** **And yeah, Marco is a demon trying to be accepted in the Above, a heaven filled with judgemental angels** **Now, I don't want to give much more of the sequel away other than this one last thing: All three of them will be faced with hardcore interrogations and lots of court meetings to access the sin that Star committed and if she will be redeemed as an angel or punished.** **ANYMORE QUESTIONS, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW OR COMMENT OR SEND ME A DOVE WITH A LETTER AND I WILL TRY TO ANSWER ALL OF Y'ALL** **THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWED MY STORY AND SUPPORTED ME AND ASKED ME SOME INTENSE QUESTIONS I LOVE IT ALL**


	36. *SPECTACULAR NEWS EVERYONE*

**HEY GUYS AND GALS! IT'S ME, LIV!** **I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THE SECOND BOOK OF PAINTED LIES AND DEMON EYES IS OUT NOW!!** **IT IS CALLED ASCENSION SO GO READ IT! READ IT NOW!** **THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT! I LOVE IT AND I LOVE YOU GUYS!**


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